Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in Iranian infertile men and its association with semen quality

Abstract Background: The present article aims to elucidate the prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and possible association between HPV infection and semen parameters in infertile Iranian men. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included semen samples from 140 male partners in couples seeking fertility evaluation. Standard semen analysis was performed. In addition, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), sperm chromatin maturation, presence of anti-sperm antibodies, leukocyte count, and Fructose and Zinc concentration were also assessed. Nested PCR and INNO-LiPA assay were used to identify HPV-DNA sequences in semen samples and determine HPV genotype, respectively. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 18/140 (12.85%) of the semen samples (10% high-risk (HR), 2.14% low-risk (LR) genotypes, and one sample was excluded). Our findings revealed that HPV18 was the most prevalent type (8.57%). According to our result, the presence of HPV DNA in the semen samples was associated with a higher white blood cell count (leukocytospermia) (P=0.02). We also observed that LR HPV-positive semen samples were associated with higher DFI values (P = 0.01). Conclusion: This study showed that the presence of HPV in semen samples was associated with leukocytospermia. We also observed that the presence of low-risk genotypes in semen samples was associated with higher sperm DFI values. These results point to the importance of careful screening for the presence of HPV in semen samples from infertile men. It should also be noted that more studies are required to have a more comprehensive view of the relationship between HPV infection and semen quality.