Molecular detection of HHV-1, HHV-2, HHV-5 and HBV in semen of fertile and infertile men by multiplex PCR method

Mohammad Yasaghi; Seyyede Delafruz Hosseini; Abdolvahab Moradi; Mina  Hassanpour; Alijan Tabarraei

doi:10.18502/ijm.v14i6.11267

Mohammad Yasaghi Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
Seyyede Delafruz Hosseini Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
Abdolvahab Moradi Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
Mina Hassanpour Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
Alijan Tabarraei Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v14i6.11267

Keywords: Herpesvirus 1; Human; Herpesvirus 2; Human; Cytomegalovirus; Hepatitis B virus; Infertility

Abstract

Background and Objectives: A great diversity of factors including viruses such as human herpes virus 1&2 (HHV-1&2), human herpes virus 5 (HHV-5), andhepatitis B virus (HBV) play key roles in sterility and it is worth noting that male infertil- ity accounts for nearly 50% of barrenness, globally. In this regard, weevaluated the prevalence of the aforementioned viruses in semen specimens of two distinct groups of men referred to Novin Infertility Center in Mashhad, Iran.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 semen samples were collected from 150 infertile and 150 fertile men. Subsequently, genomic DNAwas extracted before performing multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Eventually, the results were analyzed via SPSS Statistics V.16.0.

Results: Out of 300 specimens, 183 (61.1%) were positive at least for one of the forenamed viruses; genome detection of HHV-1&2, HHV-5, and HBV were 27%, 18%, 36.66%, and 4%, respectively.

Conclusion: The current study found no correlation between infertility and HBV, HHV-5, and HHV-1&2, which may have to do with factors like sample size,the geographical distribution of the viruses, and the lifestyle (sexual behavior) of the participants. These results emphasize the implementation of such studies on a broader scale to determine the exact factors involved in infertility.