[Corelation between hyperviscosity of the ejaculate and physical-morphological and biochemical parameters]

The aim of our study was to investigate the corelation between hyperviscosity and physical-morphological and biochemical parameters of the ejaculate and potential influence of local infections on spermatic plasma viscosity and observed parameters.

Retrospective analysis.

Associated Tissue Bank of P. J. Safárik University of Faculty of Medicine and L. Pasteur Faculty Hospital, Kosice, Slovak Republic.

The study was based on semen samples showing increased viscosity obtained from 100 consecutive men undergoing fertility assessment (median 35 years, range 27-49 years) in Associated Tissue Bank between years 1996 and 2006. The ejaculates were obtained by masturbation after 2-7 days of sexual abstinence (median 5 days).

Increased viscosity correlated with lower motility and increased pathology (95% and 91%, respectively). Within the diagnosis of asthenozoospermia there was a correlation between PMN (polymorphonuclear granulocytes) (95%), higher seminal fluid pH (94%), decreased sperm vitality (100%), decreased total seminal plasma fructose (100%) and positive microbiology (95%). There was significant positive correlation between high visco-elasticity and positive microbiology (85%), although a leukocytospermia (>1 x 106/mL) was present just in 10% of the semen samples.

Hyper-visco-elasticity is simple but important parameter of men fertility assessment and is associated with the diagnosis of asthenoteratozoospermia. It is suggested from our patient data that decrease of the leukocytospermia cutoff criteria could detect a chronic and/or latent infection of the urogenital tract. Furthermore, combination of the diagnoses of viscopathy and asthenoteratozoospermia seems as potential marker and indication, respectively, for microbiology examination.