Is semen polymorphonuclear leucocytes count a good predictor of male genital tract infection?

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate whether an increased polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) count in semen is a good predictor of male genital tract infection, which is detected by semen culture. A retrospective cross-sectional study examining the semen of 388 men was conducted at the in vitro fertilisation centre of a tertiary hospital. We compared the culture results of 109 men with increased semen PMN count against those of 279 men with normal semen PMN count. There was no significant difference in the percentage of positive cultures between men with increased PMN count in their semen and those without PMN count elevation (original sensitivity 20.8%, specificity 70.3%; p = 0.1289). The overall percentage of positive semen cultures among all 388 patients was 18.6%. Based on the positive cultures of significant organisms in the semen of our cohort, an increased semen PMN count is not a good predictor of genital tract infection in men.