Semen microbiota in normal and leukocytospermic males

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Genomics

Background:

• Semen microbiota composition varies between normal and abnormal semen samples.
• Leukocytospermia, characterized by increased seminal leukocytes, may impact male fertility.
• Understanding the relationship between semen microbiota and leukocytospermia is crucial for reproductive health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the semen microbiota composition in patients with leukocytospermia.
• To evaluate the association between semen microbiota and sperm parameters in leukocytospermia patients.
• To compare semen microbiota profiles between normal and leukocytospermia groups.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 87 seminal fluid samples.
• 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing for microbiota analysis.
• Bioinformatics methods for data analysis and microbiota profiling.

Main Results:

• Leukocytospermia groups exhibited worse sperm parameters compared to normal groups.
• Increased alpha diversity of semen microbiota was observed in leukocytospermia-related groups.
• A shift from Lactobacillus-enriched to Streptococcus-enriched microbiota profiles was identified in leukocytospermia samples.

Conclusions:

• Males with leukocytospermia have poorer sperm parameters and altered semen microbiota.
• The semen microbiota composition differs significantly between normal and leukocytospermia groups.
• Streptococcus-enriched profiles are associated with leukocytospermia, while Lactobacillus-enriched profiles are more common in normal semen.