Seminal Plasma Biochemical Markers and Microbial Infections: Diagnostic and Pathophysiological Insights into Male Infertility
Abstract
Male infertility is a multifactorial condition, with an increasing body of evidence highlighting the pivotal role of seminal plasma biochemical markers and microbial infections in its pathogenesis and diagnosis. Seminal plasma, a complex fluid enriched with proteins, enzymes, antioxidants, and metabolites, reflects the functional status of the male reproductive tract. Alterations in its biochemical composition such as decreased antioxidant capacity, disrupted energy metabolism, and elevated inflammatory mediators, are frequently associated with impaired sperm function. Concurrently, microbial infections, including those caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Escherichia coli, can adversely affect seminal parameters through direct sperm damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. Emerging evidence suggests intricate interactions between infections and biochemical milieu in seminal plasma, which may exacerbate sperm dysfunction and compromise fertility. This review synthesizes current knowledge on key seminal plasma biomarkers and their diagnostic utility, and elucidates the pathophysiological mechanisms linking microbial infections to male infertility. Understanding these interconnected pathways offers novel insights into male reproductive health and may facilitate the development of more targeted diagnostic and treatment strategies in the context of infertility.
References
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1. Oghbaei H, Rezaei YR, Nikanfar S, Zarezadeh R, Sadegi M, Latifi Z, et al. Effects of bacteria on male fertility: Spermatogenesis and sperm function. Life Sci. 2020;256:117891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117891
2. Askienazy-Elbhar M. Male genital tract infection: the point of view of the bacteriologist. Gynecol Obstet Fertil. 2005;33(9):691-7.
3. Sandoval JS, Raburn D, Muasher S. Leukocytospermia: overview of diagnosis, implications, and management of a controversial finding. Middle East Fertil Soc J. 2013;18(3):129-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mefs.2013.02.004
4. Solomon M, Henkel R. Semen culture and the assessment of genitourinary tract infections. Indian J Urol. 2017;33(3):188-93. https://doi.org/10.4103/iju.iju_407_16
5. Sullivan EA, Zegers-Hochschild F, Mansour R, Ishihara O, De Mouzon J, Nygren K, et al. International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) world report: assisted reproductive technology 2004. Hum Reprod. 2013;28(5):1375-90. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/det036
6. Krausz C, Rosta V, Swerdloff RS, Wang C. Genetics of male infertility. Emery and rimoin's principles and practice of medical genetics and genomics. 2022:121-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-815236-2.00010-2
7. Gilany K, Minai-Tehrani A, Savadi-Shiraz E, Rezadoost H, Lakpour N. Exploring the human seminal plasma proteome: an unexplored gold mine of biomarker for male infertility and male reproduction disorder. J Reprod Infertil. 2015;16(2):61.
8. Robert M, Gagnon C. Sperm motility inhibitor from human seminal plasma: association with semen coagulum. Hum Reprod. 1995;10(8):2192-7. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a136267
9. Drabovich AP, Saraon P, Jarvi K, Diamandis EP. Seminal plasma as a diagnostic fluid for male reproductive system disorders. Nat Rev Urol. 2014;11(5):278-88. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2014.74
10. Milardi D, Grande G, Vincenzoni F, Messana I, Pontecorvi A, De Marinis L, et al. Proteomic approach in the identification of fertility pattern in seminal plasma of fertile men. Fertil Steril. 2012;97(1):67-73. e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.10.013
11. Carvalho MOS, Souza ALCS, Carvalho MB, Pacheco APAS, Rocha LC, Nascimento VMLd, et al. Evaluation of alpha-1 antitrypsin levels and SERPINA1 gene polymorphisms in sickle cell disease. Front Immunol. 2017;8:1491. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.01491
12. Martinez-Leon E, Osycka-Salut C, Signorelli J, Pozo P, Perez B, Kong M, et al. Fibronectin stimulates human sperm capacitation through the cyclic AMP/protein kinase A pathway. Hum Reprod. 2015;30(9):2138-51. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dev154
13. Davalieva K, Kiprijanovska S, Noveski P, Plaseski T, Kocevska B, Broussard C, et al. Proteomic analysis of seminal plasma in men with different spermatogenic impairment. Andrologia. 2012;44(4):256-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0272.2012.01275.x
14. McIver S, Roman S, Nixon B, McLaughlin E. miRNA and mammalian male germ cells. Hum Reprod Update. 2012;18(1):44-59. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmr041
15. Li H-G, Huang S-Y, Zhou H, Liao A-H, Xiong C-L. Quick recovery and characterization of cell-free DNA in seminal plasma of normozoospermia and azoospermia: implications for non-invasive genetic utilities. Asian J Androl. 2009;11(6):703. https://doi.org/10.1038/aja.2009.65
16. Wu C, Ding X, Tan H, Li H, Xiong C. Alterations of testis-specific promoter methylation in cell-free seminal deoxyribonucleic acid of idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermic men with different testicular phenotypes. Fertil steril. 2016;106(6):1331-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.07.006
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| Issue | Vol 3 No 2 (2025) | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Seminal plasma Male infertility Biochemical markers Microbial infections | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Hajian H, Mirzaei H, Motallebi M, Shahabodin M. Seminal Plasma Biochemical Markers and Microbial Infections: Diagnostic and Pathophysiological Insights into Male Infertility. ABI. 2025;3(2):62-72.
