4BNT162b2 mRNA COVID‐19 vaccine and semen: What do we know?

Abstract

Background:The effects of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on spermatozoa parameters are not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on human semen, comparing spermatozoa parameters before and after vaccine inoculation. Materials and methods:In this single-center prospective study, voluntary subjects who received mRNA vaccines from February to July 2021 were enrolled. The study population included male subjects aged between 18 and 45 years who completed the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine cycle. All subjects were evaluated before the first dose of vaccine (T0) and after 3 months (T1) with semen analysis and further analysis of seminal plasma, including colorimetric determination of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM test), electrolytes, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) assessment by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology. Results:The experimental sample included 47 subjects (age: 29.3 ± 6.0 years, range 24-32; body mass index: 23.15 ± 2.5 kg/m 2 , range 19.2-28.0). All the subjects reported no systemic side effects. No significant differences were observed in any spermatozoa parameter between T0 and T1. A subanalysis was performed in oligoazoospermic and asthenozoospermic subjects, confirming the same results. Electrolyte analysis also showed no significant differences before and after vaccine inoculation. Finally, no significant differences were observed in T0, compared to T1 for the d-ROM test and IL-6. Discussion and conclusion:In this study, no significant differences in spermatozoa parameters before and after vaccine inoculations were found. Furthermore, oxidative stress analysis" the activity of the cell membrane, and IL-6, as a marker of inflammation, was not affected by the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. These results suggest that this vaccine is safe for male semen quality.Soraya Olana and Rossella Mazzilli contributed equally to this study.

Endocrine system after 2 years of COVID-19 vaccines: A narrative review of the literature

“…Moreover, five prospective studies were performed, four of which on healthy young volunteers/sperm donor men ( 93 , 95 , 97 , 98 ), and one on men undergoing IVF (for female infertility factors) ( 102 ). Overall, no significant alterations of sperm parameters were observed, except in the study by Abd et al.…”

“…Male fertility after COVID-19 vaccination has been assessed in one case report (90) (Supplementary Table S1) and 11 clinical studies (91,(93)(94)(95)(96)(97)(98)(99)(100)(101)(102), as shown in Supplementary Table 2.…”

“…Moreover, five prospective studies were performed, four of which on healthy young volunteers/sperm donor men (93, 95,97,98), and one on men undergoing IVF (for female infertility factors) (102). Overall, no significant alterations of sperm parameters were observed, except in the study by Abd et al (102), in which they observed a significant reduction of total and progressive sperm motility after the vaccine shot, albeit still in normal range.…”

COVID-19 and its treatments: lights and shadows on testicular function

“…No effects on semen parameters have been described [91][92][93][94] It should be reminded that most evidence is derived from the use of these drugs in other pathologies Endocrine semen parameters in vivo [69,70]. Another drug, remdesivir, has minimal data available for male fertility but is with no relevant adverse effects in pregnant women [71].…”

“…An internetbased study demonstrated that, after approval of vaccinations by health authorities, queries on fertility effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination increased dramatically [90], reflecting fears of many young adults of reproductive age, despite the lack of a solid theoretical link. However, the few available papers concur that no effects on semen parameters, oxidative stress and seminal plasma IL-6 are present [91][92][93][94]. A recent meta-analysis of these studies reported that in healthy volunteers receiving mRNA-based vaccines, no significant negative effect on sperm concentration motility and semen volume was observed, while data on sperm morphology was unavailable [4].…”