Human papillomavirus found in sperm head of young adult males affects the progressive motility.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) sperm infection and its correlation with sperm parameters in a cohort of young adult males.


METHODS
Cross-sectional clinical study.


METHODS
Andrology and Microbiology sections at a university hospital.


METHODS
A cohort of 200 young adult male volunteers (18 years old), 100 with previous sexual intercourse and 100 without previous sexual intercourse.


METHODS
Seminal parameters, sperm culture for HPV and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis for HPV detection in the sperm head. Statistical analysis was performed with a two-tailed Student's t-test.


RESULTS
Results of HPV investigation were compared to sperm parameters and results of FISH analysis. HPV infection was present in sperm cells of 10 subjects among those 100 young adults who already had unprotected intercourse and its presence was associated with reduced sperm motility. Furthermore, infected samples showed that about 25% of sperm had an HPV DNA positivity at the head site, but it is unclear whether it was integrated in the nucleus or not.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report estimating the percentage of HPV-positive sperm in infected subjects and the association between HPV infection and sperm motility.
Foresta
Carlo
C
Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnologies, Section of Clinical Pathology and Centre for Male Gamete Cryopreservation, University of Padova, Italy. carlo.foresta@unipd.it
Garolla
Andrea
A
Zuccarello
Daniela
D
Pizzol
Damiano
D
Moretti
Afra
A
Barzon
Luisa
L
Palù
Giorgio
G
D000293:Adolescent; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000821:virology*; D003075:Coitus; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D052163:Human papillomavirus 6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D015229:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D013074:Sperm Banks; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000821:virology*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*