Relationship Between Prostaglandin and Interleukin Concentrations in Seminal Fluid and Their Influence on the Rate of Fertilization in Men Undergoing ICSI

Abstract

Sperm count, motility, and morphology are semen parameters that directly affect male fertility. The presence of cytokines in seminal plasma negatively or positively influences these parameters. Interleukins and prostaglandins are proinflammatory cytokines present in human seminal plasma and play crucial roles in fertilization, in general and after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures. This study aimed to investigate the possible influence of interleukins IL-17 and IL-18, and prostaglandins PGE2 and PGF2α on male infertility. Semen samples were collected from 58 males who underwent the ICSI procedure. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of IL-17, IL-18, PGE2, and PGF2α, and these concentrations were then correlated with semen parameters and the rate of fertilization. Furthermore, the chromatin integrity of the sperm was evaluated with an Acridine Orange (AO) assay. The results showed an inversely proportional relationship between the AO binding intensity and fertilization rate (r = −0.394; p ≤ 0.002). Furthermore, a negative correlation was observed between the IL-18 concentration and positive AO (p ≤ 0.021). Moreover, the IL-18 concentration was positively correlated with the fertilization rate (p ≤ 0.05). In contrast, IL-17 did not significantly correlate with any semen parameters or with the fertilization rate. Seminal PGE2 levels were significantly correlated with embryo cleavage at 72 h (p ≤ 0.05). To conclude, this study revealed that denaturation of sperm nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contributes to low fertilization rates. In addition, this study proposed a potential role for IL-18 in fertilization. PGE2 likely influences embryo development, but further studies are needed to examine the impact of seminal PGE2 on the oocyte to fully elucidate its contribution to this complex biological process.