Correlation of semen parameters with inflammatory factors in the seminal plasma of obese males
HAN Rui-yu
MA Jing
MA Jiao-ying
WANG Xu-chu
AN Xin-tao
ZHANG Zi-dong
WANG Shu-song
Abstract：Objective:To investigate the influence of inflammatory factors on semen parameters in the seminal plasma of obese men.Methods:Based on the body mass index (BMI),171 males were divided into a normal group (BMI ＜ 24 kg/m2,n =59),an overweight group (24 ≤ BMI ＜ 28 kg/m2,n =54),and an obesity group (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2,n =58).The routine semen parameters of the subjects were obtained by computer-assisted semen analysis,the levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and VEGF in the seminal plasma were measured by ELISA,and the correlation of BMI with the above indexes was analyzed.Results:Sperm concentration was significantly decreased in the obesity group in comparison with the normal and overweight groups ([40.19 ± 24.05] vs [66.54 ± 34.81] and [57.73 ± 24.61] ×l06/ml,P ＜0.01),and so was the total number of sperm ([110.22 ± 75.44] vs [200.75 ± 102.66] and [157.46 ± 112.89] × 106,P ＜0.01) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) ([30.80 ± 15.56] vs [50.75 ± 10.17] and [39.71 ± 9.73]％, P ＜0.01).The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the seminal plasma were markedly elevated in the obesity group as compared with the normal and overweight groups ([76.90 ± 14.64] vs [64.47 ± 11.92] and [69.74 ± 12.32] pg/ml,P ＜0.05;[54.17 ± 17.81]vs[39.26 ± 9.09] and [46.25 ± 13.66] pg/ml,P ＜0.01),while that of VEGF remarkably reduced in the former group in comparison with the latter two ([154.24 ± 30.23] vs [199.23 ± 36.28] and [181.57 ± 34.41] pg/ml,P ＜0.01).The levels of TNF-α,IL-6,and VEGF were significantly correlated with BMI (r =0.254,0.321 and -0.407,P ＜ 0.01),those of TNF-α and IL-6 negatively with the percentage of PMS (r =-0.163,P ＜ 0.05;r =-0.333,P ＜ 0.01).There was a positive correlation between TNF-α and IL-6 (r =0.468,P ＜ 0.01),a negative correlation between IL-6 and VEGF (r =0.177,P ＜0.05),but no correlation between TNF-α and VEGF (r =0.058,P ＞0.05).Conclusion:The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 are increased and that of VEGF decreased in the seminal plasma of obese males,which may affect the semen quality.
Keywords：obesitybody mass indexsemen parameterstumor necrosis factor-αinterleukinvascular endothelial growth factorcorrelation analysis
Publication Date：2017-10-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 894-898 )