O-5: The In vivo Effect of Chlamydial and Total Lipopolysaccharide on Semen Quality

Background: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major component of Chlamydia spp, and of all Gram-negative bacteria. The role of LPS in alteration of sperm parameters is controversial. In this study quantification of Chlamydia-specific and general lipopolysaccharide in semen was correlated to semen quality. Materials and Methods: 255 male partners of infertile couples were recruited to produce urine and semen specimens. Semen parameters were evaluated initially and after three hours incubation at 37° C. EIA was used to detect Chlamydia-specific LPS in semen and urine. A Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay was used to quantify total LPS in seminal plasma and urine. Results: In this study 5.9% of the semen and 3.9% of the urine samples were positive for the presence Abstracts of the 12th Royan International Congress on Reproductive Biomedicine 2 7 International Journal of Fertility & Sterility (IJFS), Vol 5, Suppl 1, Summer 2011 of chlamydia-specific LPS. The presence or absence of chlamydial LPS in the seminal plasma showed no correlation with either sperm motility or viability. Mean chlamydial and non-chlamydial LPS levels in the seminal plasma and urine samples was not significantly different from those men who were considered as either infected by C. trachomatis or to be uninfected by this organism. There was a degree of correlation between high LPS levels in seminal plasma, and progressive sperm motility when this was assessed at both the initial time-point and after 3 hours incubation at 37°C (r = 0.18; p<0.005 and r=0.16; p<0.01 respectively). The results indicated a lack of correlation between high LPS levels in seminal plasma, and sperm viability. Conclusion: The present study suggests although the level of LPS in seminal plasma and urine samples of males infected with C. trachomatis is not so high, but those levels of LPS still have adverse effects on sperm motility.