ABSTRACT
Background: The role of the screening protocol for viral hepatitis and human immuunodeficiency virus [HIV] infections among infertile couples were seldom investigated
Objective: The present study was performed to assess the prevalence of hepatitis B virus [HBV], hepatitis C virus [HCV] and HIV infections among infertile couples referring to infertility clinic of Royan Institute
Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 21673 infertile couples referring to infertility clinic of Royan Institute between 2009 and 2014. Serological findings for viral hepatitis B, C and HIV infection were gathered herewith demographic data of the study participants through the study checklist. Ultimately, 302 couples who had at least one positive result in their serological tests were included in the statistical analysis
Results: The HBV and HCV infections prevalence among study participants were 0.57% and 0.148% respectively; only two cases had HIV infection. HBV and HCV infections prevalence had significant association with the gender of participants, but there was no significant relationship between these infections and infertility types
Conclusion: Viral hepatitis infections screening among infertile couples undergoing assisted reproductive techniques needs more attention
ABSTRACT
Background: chlamydia trachomatis [CT] with damaging effects on sperm quality parameters can often cause infertility in men
Objective: the main objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of polymerase chain reaction [PCR] and enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay [ELISA] for screening and detecting CT in semen samples of infertile men
Materials and Methods: in this cross-sectional study, 465 men referring to the clinical laboratory of Royan Institute were chosen for primary screening and detection of the presence of CT. 93 samples were normozoospermia with normal sperm parameters i.e. sperm number, motility and morphology [Asymptomatic] and 372 had abnormal sperm parameters [Symptomatic] in semen analysis. ELISA test was performed as the screening test. Samples with optical density [OD] >0.200 were selected as the case and asymptomatic samples with OD <0.200 were selected as the control group for the confirmatory test. PCR assay was used to confirm the serological results
Results: in the case groups [n=62], 4 out of 32 symptomatic samples [12.5%], and 1 out of 30 asymptomatic samples [3.3%] revealed positive results in PCR. No PCR positive sample was observed in the control group [n=34]. The final results revealed that considering OD >0.400 as the ELISA positive, the diagnostic value of CT ELISA positive insymptomatic and asymptomatic infertile patients were 0.019 [7 of 372] and 0.021 [2 of 93], respectively. There was no relationship between the presence of CT infection and different sperm abnormalities
Conclusion: the anti-CT IgA ELISA test may be introduced as an appropriate tool for screening purpose in the seminal plasma to select suspicious samples for PCR confirmatory tests