Skip to main content
The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine
Download PDF
  • Original article
  • Open access
  • Published:

Seminal parameters before and during combined antiviral (pegylated interferon α-2a and ribavirin) treatment in chronic hepatitis C virus patients in upper Egypt

The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine volume 26, pages 104–109 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Some reports suggest that chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and its combined antiviral therapy could alter seminal parameters, and so chronic HCV infection may influence male fertility.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate seminal parameters before and during combined antiviral (pegylated interferon α-2a+ribavirin) treatment in chronic HCV patients. Because of the possible teratogenic effect of ribavirin, contraception is mandatory during therapy.

This study was conducted on 40 male chronic HCV patients (PCR based), age 20–58 years: 30 patients were given combined therapy (group 1) and 10 were not given treatment (group 2); 10 normal controls were included (group 3).

The seminal fluid (volume, concentration, motility, and morphology) was analyzed. Parameters were determined at the beginning, and in group 1, they were reassessed after 12 weeks of therapy.

Results

Semen abnormalities were common at baseline with further impairment during antiviral therapy in group 1: oligoasthenoteratozoospermia was detected in 15 patients, asthenozoospermia in six, and athenoteratozoospermia in six (sperm density: BL, 59.2 ± 40.7 × 106/ml; week 12, 26.7 ± 22.4 × 106/ml; progressive motility: BL, 44.5 ± 15.2%; week 12, 31.2 ± 12.5%). The proportion of sperm without motility reached its peak after 12 weeks of therapy. The percentage of abnormal forms was BL 14 ± 0.04% and week 12 16.8 ± 5.2%, with further increase during therapy. In group 2, oligoasthenoteratozoospermia was present in three patients, asthenozoospermia in three, and athenoteratozoospermia in two. The density was 46.7 ± 32.4 × 106/ml, and the progressive motility 40 ± 10.7%. The percentage of abnormal forms was 13.5 ± 1.6%. In group 3, there was no oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, one patient had asthenozoospermia, and one had athenoteratozoospermia. The density was 95.2 ± 28.7 × 106/ml, and the progressive motility 57.2 ± 18.2%. The percentage of abnormal forms was 9.5 ± 2.8%.

Conclusion

Semen abnormalities were common in chronic HCV patients, with further impairment during combined antiviral therapy.

References

  1. Englert YB, Lesage JP, Van Vooren C, Liesnard I, Place AS, Vannin S, et al. Medically assisted reproduction in the presence of chronic viral diseases. Hum Reprod Update 2004; 10:149–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Manns MP, McHutchison JG, Gordon SC, Rustgi VK, Shiffman M, Reindollar R, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomized trial. Lancet 2001; 358:958–965.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zignego AL, Brechot C. Extrahepatic manifestations of HCV infection: facts and controversies. J Hepatol 1999; 31:369–376.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cacoub P, Poynard T, Ghillani P, Charlotte F, Olivi M, Piette JC, et al. Extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C. Arthritis Rheum 1999; 42:2204–2212.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Petit JM, Bour JB, Galland-Jos C, Minello A, Verges B, Guiguet M, et al. Risk factors for diabetes mellitus and early insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C. J Hepatol 2001; 35:279–283.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Devaux A, Soula V, Sifer C, Branger M, Naouri M, Porcher R et al. Hepatitis C virus detection in follicular fluid and culture media from HCV+ women, and viral risk during IVF procedures. Hum Reprod 2003; 18:2342–2349.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Levy R, Bourlet T, Maertens A, Salle B, Lornage J, Laurent JL et al. Pregnancy after safe IVF with hepatitis C virus RNA-positive sperm. Hum Reprod 2002; 17:2650–2653.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. World Health Organization. WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen. 5th ed. 2010. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press; Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241547789_eng.pdf [Last accessed on 2012 Jan 11].

    Google Scholar 

  9. Aitken RJ, Baker MA, Sawyer D. Oxidative stress in the male germ line and its role in the etiology of male infertility and genetic disease. Reprod Biomed Online 2003; 7:65–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Agarwal A, Sharma RK, Nallella KP, Thomas AJ Jr, Alvarez JG, Sikka SC. Reactive oxygen species as an independent marker of male factor infertility. Fertil Steril 2006; 86:878–885.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hofer H, Donnerer J, Sator K, Staufer K, Scherzer TM, Dejaco C, et al. Seminal fluid ribavirin level and functional semen parameters in patients with chronic hepatitis C on antiviral combination therapy. J Hepatol 2010; 52:812–816.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Durazzo M, Premoli A, Di Bisceglie C, Bertagna A, Faga E, Biroli G. Alterations of seminal and hormonal parameters: an extrahepatic manifestation of HCV infection?. World J Gastroenterol 2006; 12:3073–3076.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Pecou S, Moinard N, Walschaerts M, Pasquier C, Daudin M, Bujan L. Ribavirin and pegylated Interferon treatment for hepatitis C was associated not only with semen alterations but also with sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation in humans. Fertil Steril 2009; 91:17–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Andrology and STDs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Hussein M. Ghanem

  2. Department of Andrology and STDs, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt

    Nashaat N. Ismaeel

  3. Department of Dermatology, Andrology and STDs, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt

    Hala Shreen

  4. Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt

    Alaa F. Haseeb

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt

    Waleed M. Nabawy MD & Mohamed Rehan

Authors
  1. Hussein M. Ghanem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nashaat N. Ismaeel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alaa F. Haseeb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Waleed M. Nabawy MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mohamed Rehan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hala Shreen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Waleed M. Nabawy MD.

Rights and permissions

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ghanem, H.M., Ismaeel, N.N., Haseeb, A.F. et al. Seminal parameters before and during combined antiviral (pegylated interferon α-2a and ribavirin) treatment in chronic hepatitis C virus patients in upper Egypt. Egypt J Intern Med 26, 104–109 (2014). https://doi.org/10.4103/1110-7782.145302

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1110-7782.145302

Keywords