Semen samples of 190 men attending an andrology clinic were evaluated with bacteriological culture and categorized as negative (group I) and positive (group II); the effect of bacteriospemia on semen characteristics was also analyzed. Semen samples from both groups were simultaneously analyzed for routine parameters such as volume, sperm count, motility, viability and morphology. The semen culture was negative in 34% and positive in 66% of the samples. From 123 samples, 157 aerobes and 8 anaerobes were recovered. The most commonly isolated organism was Staphylococchs epidermidis (in 63% of the samples), followed by Streptococchs viridans (28%), Escherichia coli (9%), Staphylococcus aureus (5%), Streptococcus faecalis (5%), beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (4%), and Enterobacter agglomerans (4%). Other microorganisms, including Klebsiella sp, Candida sp., and Proteus mirabilis, were recovered in fewer than 4% of the specimens. The comparison of semen characteristics between infected and noninfected men showed that motile spermatozoa and viability were lower when the microorganisms were present in the semen. It would appear that the bacteria can have a direct effect on semen quality with negative consequences in fertility.

homozygote wild type. We also found three polymorphic changes, previously reported in exon 1. The Asn-intoLys change is likely deleterious because it leads to a nonconservative amino acid substitution, changing a highly conserved residue. This mutation, located in the A-chain of the INSL3 protein, is the first mutation reported in this region. This finding provides new evidence that INSL3 is involved in testicular descent in humans; however, mutations of this gene are not a frequent cause of cryptorchidism.

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This work reinforces the view that molecular defects in the AMH or AMHR are unlikely sources for the MRKHS syndrome.

A study of semen quality was conducted in 197 smoking and 161 non-smoking men undergoing initial infertility investigation. The men were allocated into groups according the number of cigarettes smoked per day < 10 (n = 57), 11-20 (n = 115), and > 20 cigarettes (n = 25). Smokers had significantly poorer sperm density (P < .005), a lower percentage of viability (P < .007), a lower percentage of normal sperm morphology (P < .005), and the percentage of motile sperm was lower (P < .005). These parameters were worse in the heavy smoking groups. Thus the present study corroborates reports of detrimental effects of cigarette smoking on sperm characteristics. Further studies are needed to explain the mechanism by which smoking affects spermatogenesis.