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Male reproductive health after 3 months from SARS-CoV-2 infection: a multicentric study
Purpose While SARS-CoV-2 infection appears not to be clinically evident in the testes, indirect inflammatory effects and fever may impair testicular function. To date, few long-term data of semen parameters impairment after recovery and comprehensive andrological evaluation of recovered patients has...
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Published in: | Journal of endocrinological investigation 2023-01, Vol.46 (1), p.89-101 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Purpose
While SARS-CoV-2 infection appears not to be clinically evident in the testes, indirect inflammatory effects and fever may impair testicular function. To date, few long-term data of semen parameters impairment after recovery and comprehensive andrological evaluation of recovered patients has been published. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 infection affect male reproductive health.
Methods
Eighty patients were recruited three months after COVID-19 recovery. They performed physical examination, testicular ultrasound, semen analysis, sperm DNA integrity evaluation (TUNEL), anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) testing, sex hormone profile evaluation (Total testosterone, LH, FSH). In addition, all patients were administered International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire (IIEF-15). Sperm parameters were compared with two age-matched healthy pre-COVID-19 control groups of normozoospermic (CTR1) and primary infertile (CTR2) subjects.
Results
Median values of
semen parameters
from recovered SARS-CoV-2 subjects were within WHO 2010 fifth percentile. Mean percentage of
sperm DNA fragmentation
(%SDF) was 14.1 ± 7.0%. Gelatin Agglutination Test (
GAT
) was positive in 3.9% of blood serum samples, but no positive semen plasma sample was found. Only five subjects (6.2%) had total
testosterone levels
below the laboratory reference range. Mean
bilateral testicular volume
was 31.5 ± 9.6 ml.
Erectile dysfunction
was detected in 30% of subjects.
Conclusion
Our data remark that COVID-19 does not seem to cause direct damage to the testicular function, while indirect damage appears to be transient. It is possible to counsel infertile couples to postpone the research of parenthood or ART procedures around three months after recovery from the infection. |
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ISSN: | 1720-8386 0391-4097 1720-8386 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s40618-022-01887-3 |