Lotti F, Corona G, Mancini M, Filimberti E, Degli Innocenti S, Colpi GM, Baldi E, Noci I, Forti G, Adorini L, Maggi M.

Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Endocrinology Unit, Maggiore-Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy Andrological Urology Unit and IVF Center, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Corciano (Perugia), Italy.

This study was aimed at evaluating the association between seminal plasma interleukin-8 (sIL-8) and colour-Doppler ultrasound (CDU) characteristics of the male genital tract in a series of patients fulfilling the criteria of male accessory gland infections (MAGI). Of 250 subjects seeking medical care for couple infertility, 79 (mean age: 36.4 ± 7.5 years) met the criteria of MAGI and scored higher than the rest of the sample on the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index score. All patients underwent simultaneous hormone evaluation and seminal analysis (including sIL-8), along with scrotal and transrectal CDU before and after ejaculation. After adjusting for age, sIL-8 in patients with MAGI was significantly related to several abnormal semen and CDU parameters. In particular, leucocytospermia was closely associated with sIL-8. Ejaculate volume, unlike other semen or hormonal parameters, was negatively associated with sIL-8. When scrotal CDU was performed, sIL-8 was positively related to CDU inhomogeneous, hypo-echoic, hyper-echoic epididymis and to epididymal calcifications. In addition, a positive correlation among sIL-8, hyperaemic epididymis and an increased size of epididymal tail was found. When transrectal CDU was performed, an association among sIL-8 and hyper-echoic seminal vesicles, dilated ejaculatory ducts and duct calcifications was also observed. Finally, sIL-8 was positively related to prostate CDU abnormalities such as calcifications, inhomogeneous/hypo-echoic texture, hyperaemia and high arterial blood flow. No association was found with testis parameters. In conclusion, sIL-8 levels in patients with MAGI are associated with several parameters and CDU abnormalities of epididymis, seminal vesicles, ejaculatory ducts and prostate, but not of the testis. Furthermore, sIL-8 positively correlates with CDU signs of ejaculatory duct inflammatory subobstruction.
© 2010 The Authors. International Journal of Andrology © 2010 European Academy of Andrology.

PMID: 20969602 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]