Comparison of semen quality and outcome of assisted reproductive techniques in Chinese men with and without hepatitis B

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on sperm quality and the outcome of assisted reproductive technology (ART). A total of 916 men (457 HBV-positive and 459 HBV-negative) seeking fertility assistance from January 2008 to December 2009 at the Women's Hospital in the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University were analysed for semen parameters. Couples in which the men were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-seropositive were categorized as HBV-positive and included 587 in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and 325 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles from January 2004 to December 2009; negative controls were matched for female age, date of ova retrieval, ART approach used (IVF or ICSI) and randomized in a ratio of 1:1 according to the ART treatment cycles (587 for IVF and 325 for ICSI). HBV-infected men exhibited lower semen volume, lower total sperm count as well as poor sperm motility and morphology (P,0.05) when compared to control individuals. Rates of two-pronuclear (2PN) fertilisation, high-grade embryo acquisition, implantation and clinical pregnancy were also lower among HBV-positive patients compared to those of HBV-negative patients after ICSI and embryo transfer (P,0.05); IVF outcomes were similar between the two groups (P.0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that HBV infection independently contributed to increased rates of asthenozoospermia and oligozoospermia/azoospermia (P,0.05) as well as decreased rates of implantation and clinical pregnancy in ICSI cycles (P,0.05). Our results suggest that HBV infection in men is associated with poor sperm quality and worse ICSI and embryo transfer outcomes but does not affect the outcome of IVF and embryo transfer.

Prevalence of blood borne viruses in IVF: an audit of a fertility Centre

“…In general, BBV infections have been shown to contribute to male infertility either by direct toxic effects on cells in the male reproductive tract, and/or indirectly by causing a local inflammatory or immunological reaction (Zhou et al ., 2011). HBV infection has been reported to increase chromosomal instability in sperm and impair overall sperm quality (Huang et al ., 2003, Huang et al ., 2002).…”

Reduction in sperm aneuploidy levels in severe oligoasthenoteratospermic patients after medical therapy: a preliminary report

“…13 Our results support the view that sperm morphology is the most informative semen measurement for discriminating fertile men from infertile men. 14 The outcome of ICSI is also believed to be linked to sperm concentration 19,20 and/or to sperm motility. 20,21 However, these data cannot be compared to the data presented here, because our patients were treated with carnitines1oxicam, but no treatment was administered to the patients in the former studies.…”

“…14 The outcome of ICSI is also believed to be linked to sperm concentration 19,20 and/or to sperm motility. 20,21 However, these data cannot be compared to the data presented here, because our patients were treated with carnitines1oxicam, but no treatment was administered to the patients in the former studies. Other authors maintain that sperm aneuploidy levels are likely to be inversely related to sperm morphology, sperm motility or sperm concentration.…”

Can hepatitis B virus DNA in semen be predicted by serum levels of hepatitis B virus DNA, HBeAg, and HBsAg in chronically infected men from infertile couples?

“…Poor semen parameters had been found in HBV-infected men (Vicari et al, 2006;Lee et al, 2010;Lorusso et al, 2010;Zhou et al, 2011). Also, HBV infection is associated with sperm apoptosis and necrosis resulted out of normal range (Moretti et al, 2008).…”