Many people who recover from COVID-19 experience long-term symptoms, such as
brain fog or heart problems. Increasing evidence suggests that the virus can
also impair fertility.
Now, researchers reporting in ACS Omega have analyzed protein levels in
semen of men who have recovered from COVID-19. The pilot study suggests that
even mild or moderate illness could change the levels of proteins related to
male reproductive function, the researchers say.
Although SARS-CoV-2 mainly affects the respiratory system, the virus — and
the body’s response to it — also damages other tissues. Recent evidence
indicates that COVID-19 infection can reduce male fertility, and the virus
has been detected in male reproductive organs. Firuza Parikh and Rajesh
Parikh at Jaslok Hospital, Sanjeeva Srivastava at the Indian Institute of
Technology and colleagues wondered if COVID-19 infection could have
long-term impacts on the male reproductive system. To find out, they decided
to compare levels of proteins in the semen of healthy men and those who
previously had mild or moderate cases of COVID-19.
The researchers analyzed semen samples from 10 healthy men and 17 men who
had recently recovered from COVID-19. None of the men, who ranged in age
from 20 to 45, had a prior history of infertility. The team found that the
recovered men had significantly reduced sperm count and motility, and fewer
normally shaped sperm, than men who hadn’t had COVID-19.
When the researchers analyzed semen proteins using liquid
chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, they found 27 proteins at higher
levels and 21 proteins at lower levels in COVID-19-recovered men compared
with the control group. Many of the proteins were involved in reproductive
function. Two of the fertility-related proteins, semenogelin 1 and
prosaposin, were present at less than half their levels in the semen of the
COVID-19-recovered group than in the semen of controls. These findings
suggest that SARS-CoV-2 has direct or indirect effects on male reproductive
health that linger after recovery, the researchers say.
The work might also reveal insights into the pathophysiology of human
reproduction in recovered men, they add. However, they note that larger
studies should be done to confirm these findings, and a control group of men
who recently recovered from other flu-like illnesses should be included to
ensure that the findings are specific for COVID-19.
Reference:
Susmita Ghosh, Swapneil Parikh, Mehar Un Nissa, Arup Acharjee, Avinash Singh,
Dhruv Patwa, Prashant Makwana, Arundhati Athalye, Abhilash Barpanda, Malini
Laloraya, Sanjeeva Srivastava, Firuza Parikh. Semen Proteomics of COVID-19
Convalescent Men Reveals Disruption of Key Biological Pathways Relevant to
Male Reproductive Function. ACS Omega, 2022; 7 (10): 8601
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06551