title: Semen washing procedures do not eliminate human papilloma virus sperm infection in infertile patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of three sperm washing protocols for removing human papillomavirus (HPV)-infected cells from semen samples of infertile patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Andrology and microbiology sections at a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 32 infertile patients positive for semen HPV, detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in-situ hybridization in sperm and exfoliated cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen analysis and in-situ hybridization for HPV detection were performed before and after sperm washing, discontinuous Ficoll gradients, and swim-up protocols. Statistical analysis was performed with a two-tailed Student's t-test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of sperm parameters and presence of HPV, performed in semen samples before and after procedures of sperm selection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All native samples showed the presence of infected sperm with a mean percentage of positivity (24.7% ± 8.9%) higher than exfoliated cells (13.8% ± 4.3%). Fifteen samples had HPV DNA on sperm and exfoliated cells. Sperm washing centrifugation showed no changes in the number of infected samples and in the percentage of infected cells. Ficoll and swim-up protocols induced a slight reduction in the number of infected samples (30 and 26, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that conventional sperm selection rarely eliminates HPV sperm infection. More attention should be paid to the reproductive health of infected patients because, not only can HPV be transmitted, but it may also have a negative effect on development of the fetus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnologies, Clinical Pathology Section & Centre for Male Gamete Cryopreservation, University of Padova, Italy. carlo.foresta@unipd.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foresta
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pizzol
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertoldo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menegazzo
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barzon
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garolla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D048430:Cell Shape; D002470:Cell Survival; D002498:Centrifugation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral