Evaluation of Semen DNA Integrity and Related Parameters with COVID-19 Infection: a Prospective Cohort Study

Overview

Journal Virol J

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2023 Sep 28

PMID 37770916

Authors

Shuibo Shi

Hongji Hu

Jiayao Wang

Xueming Huang

Jianhao Li

Dongshui Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: In the context of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, Its impact on male reproductive function should be concerned.

Methods: Our study is a prospective cohort study that recruited participants infected or uninfected with COVID-19 between December 2022 and March 2023. All laboratory tests and questionnaire data were completed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. A total of 132 participants were enrolled, with 78 COVID-19 positive patients as the positive group and 54 COVID-19 negative participants as the negative group. Semen quality was assessed by the fifth World Health Organization criteria. The general characteristics of semen samples were assessed using CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis). DNA damage and the high density stainability was assessed by sperm chromatin structure analysis (SCSA) based on flowcytometry.

Results: The sperm concentration, progressive motility and motility in COVID-19 negative group were significantly higher than positive group. In the following DNA damage analysis, a remarkably lower sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) in the COVID-19 negative group. In the positive group, unhealthy lifestyles had no significant effect on semen parameters, DNA fragmentation and nuclear compaction.

Conclusions: After excluding the interference of unhealthy lifestyle, the COVID-19 infection can have a significant impact on the quality of semen, especially the DFI,. Therefore, it shows that COVID-19 can adversely affects male fertility, and this result provides advisory guidance for clinicians.

Citing Articles

The temporary impact of COVID-19 on semen deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation.

Kvach M, Nikitin O, Kost A, Banyra O Cent European J Urol. 2024; 77(2):298-303.

PMID: 39345316 PMC: 11428368. DOI: 10.5173/ceju.2024.263.

Shcherbitskaia A, Komarova E, Milyutina Y, Sagurova Y, Ishchuk M, Mikhel A Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(21).

PMID: 37958725 PMC: 10649310. DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115742.

References

Sengupta P, Dutta S, Roychoudhury S, DSouza U, Govindasamy K, Kolesarova A . COVID-19, Oxidative Stress and Male Reproduction: Possible Role of Antioxidants. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022; 11(3). PMC: 8945216. DOI: 10.3390/antiox11030548. View

Maleki B, Tartibian B . COVID-19 and male reproductive function: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study. Reproduction. 2021; 161(3):319-331. DOI: 10.1530/REP-20-0382. View

Wang Z, Xu X . scRNA-seq Profiling of Human Testes Reveals the Presence of the ACE2 Receptor, A Target for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Spermatogonia, Leydig and Sertoli Cells. Cells. 2020; 9(4). PMC: 7226809. DOI: 10.3390/cells9040920. View

Delgado-Roche L, Mesta F . Oxidative Stress as Key Player in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) Infection. Arch Med Res. 2020; 51(5):384-387. PMC: 7190501. DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.04.019. View

Ma L, Xie W, Li D, Shi L, Ye G, Mao Y . Evaluation of sex-related hormones and semen characteristics in reproductive-aged male COVID-19 patients. J Med Virol. 2020; 93(1):456-462. PMC: 7361404. DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26259. View

Achua J, Chu K, Ibrahim E, Khodamoradi K, Delma K, Iakymenko O . Histopathology and Ultrastructural Findings of Fatal COVID-19 Infections on Testis. World J Mens Health. 2020; 39(1):65-74. PMC: 7752514. DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.200170. View

Bendayan M, Robin G, Hamdi S, Mieusset R, Boitrelle F . COVID-19 in men: With or without virus in semen, spermatogenesis may be impaired. Andrologia. 2020; 53(1):e13878. PMC: 7645883. DOI: 10.1111/and.13878. View

Tajbakhsh A, Gheibi Hayat S, Taghizadeh H, Akbari A, Inabadi M, Savardashtaki A . COVID-19 and cardiac injury: clinical manifestations, biomarkers, mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment, and follow up. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2020; 19(3):345-357. DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2020.1822737. View

Sengupta P, Dutta S . Does SARS-CoV-2 infection cause sperm DNA fragmentation? Possible link with oxidative stress. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2020; 25(5):405-406. DOI: 10.1080/13625187.2020.1787376. View

10.

Hingorani K, Bhadola S, Cervantes-Arslanian A . COVID-19 and the brain. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2022; 32(6):323-330. PMC: 9022395. DOI: 10.1016/j.tcm.2022.04.004. View

11.

Caliskan Z, Kucukgergin C, Aktan G, Kadioglu A, Ozdemirler G . Evaluation of sperm DNA fragmentation in male infertility. Andrologia. 2022; 54(11):e14587. DOI: 10.1111/and.14587. View

12.

de Wit E, van Doremalen N, Falzarano D, Munster V . SARS and MERS: recent insights into emerging coronaviruses. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2016; 14(8):523-34. PMC: 7097822. DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.81. View

13.

Han X, Ye Q . Kidney involvement in COVID-19 and its treatments. J Med Virol. 2020; 93(3):1387-1395. DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26653. View

14.

Li H, Xiao X, Zhang J, Zafar M, Wu C, Long Y . Impaired spermatogenesis in COVID-19 patients. EClinicalMedicine. 2020; 28:100604. PMC: 7584442. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100604. View

15.

Kandil H, Agarwal A, Saleh R, Boitrelle F, Arafa M, Vogiatzi P . Editorial Commentary on Draft of World Health Organization Sixth Edition Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen. World J Mens Health. 2021; 39(4):577-580. PMC: 8443989. DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.210074. View

16.

Enikeev D, Taratkin M, Morozov A, Petov V, Korolev D, Shpikina A . Prospective two-arm study of the testicular function in patients with COVID-19. Andrology. 2022; 10(6):1047-1056. PMC: 9111462. DOI: 10.1111/andr.13159. View

17.

Duarte-Neto A, Teixeira T, Caldini E, Kanamura C, Gomes-Gouvea M, Dos Santos A . Testicular pathology in fatal COVID-19: A descriptive autopsy study. Andrology. 2021; 10(1):13-23. PMC: 8444746. DOI: 10.1111/andr.13073. View

18.

Wu H, Jiang X, Gao Y, Liu W, Wang F, Gong M . Mumps virus infection disrupts blood-testis barrier through the induction of TNF-α in Sertoli cells. FASEB J. 2019; 33(11):12528-12540. PMC: 6902681. DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901089R. View

19.

Mahmudpour M, Roozbeh J, Keshavarz M, Farrokhi S, Nabipour I . COVID-19 cytokine storm: The anger of inflammation. Cytokine. 2020; 133:155151. PMC: 7260598. DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155151. View

20.

Hvidt J, Breth Knudsen U, Zachariae R, Ingerslev H, Philipsen M, Frederiksen Y . Associations of bedtime, sleep duration, and sleep quality with semen quality in males seeking fertility treatment: a preliminary study. Basic Clin Androl. 2020; 30:5. PMC: 7181488. DOI: 10.1186/s12610-020-00103-7. View