The effects of pyospermia and ureaplasma urealyticum culture positivity on semen quality in subfertile men

Abstract

ObjectiveTo analyze the relationship between pyospermia, semen quality and the results of Ureaplasma urealyticum testing in subfertile men.DesignRetrospective Cohort Study.Materials and MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of subfertile men (n=122) visiting a single institution over a 5 year period with pyospermia and reflexive urine culture for Ureaplasma urealyticum. Study subjects had follow up semen analyses (SAs) no less than 28 days after Ureaplasma testing. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare mean SAs before doxycycline treatment and to compare the change in mean SAs in pyospermic patients with positive (n=9) vs. negative (n=113) Ureaplasma cultures.ResultsComparison of pyospermic men after antibiotic treatment with positive vs. negative. Ureaplasma cultures revealed no statistical difference in incident semen leukocyte levels (3.73 vs. 2.59 x 106 WBC/mL, p = 0.92), volume (2.0 vs. 2.79 mL, p = 0.15), concentration (39.43 vs. 49.27 M/mL, p = 0.95), motility (44.89% vs. 50.73, p = 0.31), or strict morphology (5.0 vs. 4.97%, p = 0.40). Comparison of the change between incident and follow up semen analyses after antibiotic treatment in positive vs. negative Ureaplasma cultures did not reveal a statistically significant difference in change in semen leukocyte levels (-0.2 vs. -1.66 x 106 WBC/mL, p = 0.50), volume (-0.17 vs. -0.05 mL, p = 0.55), concentration (6.88 vs. -0.56 M/mL, p = 0.85), motility (8.56 vs. -0.11%, p = 0.16), or strict morphology (0.67 vs. -1.12%, p = 0.18).ConclusionUreaplasma culture positivity does not influence semen parameters and reflexive Ureaplasma testing in the setting of pyospermia may be of limited utility. ObjectiveTo analyze the relationship between pyospermia, semen quality and the results of Ureaplasma urealyticum testing in subfertile men. To analyze the relationship between pyospermia, semen quality and the results of Ureaplasma urealyticum testing in subfertile men. DesignRetrospective Cohort Study. Retrospective Cohort Study. Materials and MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of subfertile men (n=122) visiting a single institution over a 5 year period with pyospermia and reflexive urine culture for Ureaplasma urealyticum. Study subjects had follow up semen analyses (SAs) no less than 28 days after Ureaplasma testing. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare mean SAs before doxycycline treatment and to compare the change in mean SAs in pyospermic patients with positive (n=9) vs. negative (n=113) Ureaplasma cultures. This is a retrospective cohort study of subfertile men (n=122) visiting a single institution over a 5 year period with pyospermia and reflexive urine culture for Ureaplasma urealyticum. Study subjects had follow up semen analyses (SAs) no less than 28 days after Ureaplasma testing. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare mean SAs before doxycycline treatment and to compare the change in mean SAs in pyospermic patients with positive (n=9) vs. negative (n=113) Ureaplasma cultures. ResultsComparison of pyospermic men after antibiotic treatment with positive vs. negative. Ureaplasma cultures revealed no statistical difference in incident semen leukocyte levels (3.73 vs. 2.59 x 106 WBC/mL, p = 0.92), volume (2.0 vs. 2.79 mL, p = 0.15), concentration (39.43 vs. 49.27 M/mL, p = 0.95), motility (44.89% vs. 50.73, p = 0.31), or strict morphology (5.0 vs. 4.97%, p = 0.40). Comparison of the change between incident and follow up semen analyses after antibiotic treatment in positive vs. negative Ureaplasma cultures did not reveal a statistically significant difference in change in semen leukocyte levels (-0.2 vs. -1.66 x 106 WBC/mL, p = 0.50), volume (-0.17 vs. -0.05 mL, p = 0.55), concentration (6.88 vs. -0.56 M/mL, p = 0.85), motility (8.56 vs. -0.11%, p = 0.16), or strict morphology (0.67 vs. -1.12%, p = 0.18). Comparison of pyospermic men after antibiotic treatment with positive vs. negative. Ureaplasma cultures revealed no statistical difference in incident semen leukocyte levels (3.73 vs. 2.59 x 106 WBC/mL, p = 0.92), volume (2.0 vs. 2.79 mL, p = 0.15), concentration (39.43 vs. 49.27 M/mL, p = 0.95), motility (44.89% vs. 50.73, p = 0.31), or strict morphology (5.0 vs. 4.97%, p = 0.40). Comparison of the change between incident and follow up semen analyses after antibiotic treatment in positive vs. negative Ureaplasma cultures did not reveal a statistically significant difference in change in semen leukocyte levels (-0.2 vs. -1.66 x 106 WBC/mL, p = 0.50), volume (-0.17 vs. -0.05 mL, p = 0.55), concentration (6.88 vs. -0.56 M/mL, p = 0.85), motility (8.56 vs. -0.11%, p = 0.16), or strict morphology (0.67 vs. -1.12%, p = 0.18). ConclusionUreaplasma culture positivity does not influence semen parameters and reflexive Ureaplasma testing in the setting of pyospermia may be of limited utility. Ureaplasma culture positivity does not influence semen parameters and reflexive Ureaplasma testing in the setting of pyospermia may be of limited utility.