The association between COVID-19 and infertility: Mendelian randomization analysis

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Genetics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about its potential long-term effects on human reproduction.
• The causal relationship between COVID-19 infection and infertility in both men and women remains unclear.
• Understanding this association is crucial for reproductive health management and patient counseling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal association between COVID-19 and infertility.
• To assess the impact of COVID-19 on male and female reproductive health using genetic data.
• To provide evidence-based information for healthcare professionals managing infertility.

Main Methods:

• A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from European populations.
• Multiple MR methods (MR Egger, weighted median, inverse variance weighted, etc.) were employed to assess causal relationships.
• Sensitivity analyses and multivariate MR analysis including covariates like sex hormone levels and abortion history were conducted for robustness.

Main Results:

• Mendelian randomization analysis revealed no statistically significant causal relationship between COVID-19 and male infertility (P=0.178).
• Similarly, COVID-19 was not found to be causally associated with female infertility (P=0.646).
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, indicating no significant pleiotropy.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence from univariate and multivariate MR analyses does not support COVID-19 as a causal risk factor for infertility in the European population.
• These findings can assist reproductive specialists in managing infertility patients by clarifying the role of COVID-19.
• Further research may explore potential indirect effects or specific subpopulations.