HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Relationship of interleukin-6 with semen characteristics and oxidative stress in patients with varicocele.

AbstractOBJECTIVES:
To examine levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in fertile semen donors and patients with varicocele and examine its association with semen characteristics and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
METHODS:
We conducted a prospective study consisting of 15 fertile donors (controls) and 35 infertile patients with varicocele. Semen analysis was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines. IL-6 levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ROS (x10(4) counted photons per minute per 20 x 10(6) sperm) and total antioxidant capacity (molar trolox equivalents) were measured using a chemiluminescence assay.
RESULTS:
The sperm concentration and motility were significantly greater in the donors compared with the infertile patients with varicocele (P <0.0001 and P = 0.01, respectively). The IL-6 (log10 [IL-6 +1]) and ROS (log10 [ROS +1]) levels were significantly greater in infertile patients with varicocele than in the donors (IL-6: 2.1 [1.7, 2.4] versus 0.7 [0, 1.9], P = 0.003; ROS: 1.8 [1.2, 2.6] versus 1.0 [0.7, 1.6], P = 0.04). The total antioxidant capacity levels were significantly lower in the varicocele patients (1166.7 +/- 366.2) than in the donors (1556.4 +/- 468.1; P = 0.003). The IL-6 levels correlated significantly with the ROS levels in the infertile patients with varicocele (r = -0.39; P = 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS:
Infertile patients with varicocele exhibited elevated levels of IL-6 and ROS and decreased levels of total antioxidant capacity. Pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and oxidative stress may play a role in the pathophysiology of infertility in these patients.
AuthorsKiran P Nallella, Shyam S R Allamaneni, Fabio F Pasqualotto, Rakesh K Sharma, Anthony J Thomas Jr, Ashok Agarwal
JournalUrology (Urology) Vol. 64 Issue 5 Pg. 1010-3 (Nov 2004) ISSN: 1527-9995 [Electronic] United States
PMID15533496 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
Chemical References
  • Antioxidants
  • Interleukin-6
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
Topics
  • Adult
  • Antioxidants (analysis)
  • Humans
  • Infertility, Male (complications, metabolism, physiopathology)
  • Interleukin-6 (analysis, metabolism)
  • Male
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Reactive Oxygen Species (analysis)
  • Semen (chemistry, metabolism)
  • Sperm Motility
  • Varicocele (complications, metabolism)

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: