RELATION BETWEEN IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE PGE 2 AND IL-10 TO PRO-INFLAMMATORY IL-6 IN SEMINAL PLASMA OF INFERTILE AND FERTILE MEN

Abstract

In vitro studies have reported that seminal plasma of fertile men has more inhibitory mitogenic effect and higher suppressive activity on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity than seminal plasma from infertile males. Is it possible that variations in the seminal plasma composition could explain these results? The present study was conducted to investigate the relation between immunosuppressive PGE 2 and IL-10 to pro-inflammatory IL-6 in seminal plasma of infertile and fertile men. Utilizing specific ELISA commercial kit, semen samples from 45 infertile undiagnosed and 25 fertile men were examined for the presence of PGE 2, IL-10, and IL-6. The IL-6 concentration in seminal plasma of infertile men was significantly higher than that of fertile men ( p <.0 4). However, levels of IL-10 were lower for the semen of infertile men than that of fertile men ( p <.04). No differences were observed in PGE 2 concentrations between both groups. Increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, and decrease in immunosuppressive ones, such as IL-10, could alter the tolerance to sperm cell in male and female tracts and reduce the favorable conditions to reach the fecundation and implantation. It is necessary to conduct further studies that include other pro- and anti-inflammatory substances to evaluate the importance of the immune balance of semen in human fertility.