• PMID: 10856470
• Gene Name: IL1A
• Condition: Play a role in physiologic functions of sperm cells
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 25
• Population details: 25 (17 fertile men (donors with proved fertility), 8 oligoteratoasthenospermic infertile men)
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Other associated phenotypes: Play a role in physiologic functions of sperm cells

Production of interleukin-1-like molecules by human sperm cells

Huleihel M, Lunenfeld E, Horowitz S, Levy A, Potashnik G, Glezerman M.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize and localize interleukin (IL)-1alpha and IL-1beta in human sperm cells. DESIGN: Prospective and comparative study. SETTING: Andrology clinic of a university hospital. PATIENT(S): Two groups of normogonadotropic men: 17 fertile men (donors with proved fertility) and 8 oligoteratoasthenospermic infertile men. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OTUCOME MEASURE(s): Evaluation of IL-1alpha and IL-1beta levels and expression in sperm cells by immunohistochemical staining, immunoassay, and Western blot analysis. RESULT(S): Both types of IL-1-like molecules (IL-1alpha and IL-1beta) were expressed in the tail, neck, and head of sperm cells of fertile men and patients with oligoteratoasthenospermia. Swim-up sperm cells from fertile men and patients with oligoteratoasthenospermia secreted similar levels of IL-1-like molecules. The levels of IL-1beta-like molecules were higher than those of IL-1alpha-like molecules in both groups. The expressed IL-1-like molecules were characterized by the presence a 60-kd protein for both IL-1alpha-like and IL-1beta-like molecules. In some samples of both fertile men and infertile men with oligoteratoasthenospermia, 17-kd, 33-kd, and 45-kd IL-1beta-like molecules were detected. Impairment of sperm function, such as decreased sperm count and motility and/or impaired morphology, was not related to the capacity of sperm cells to produce IL-1-like molecules. CONCLUSION(S): IL-1 molecules originating in sperm cells may play a role in the physiologic functions of sperm cells (autocrine effect) and/or in cell-cell interactions within the testis (paracrine effect). FAU - Huleihel, M AU - Huleihel M AD - Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. huleihel@bgumail.bgu.ac.il FAU - Lunenfeld, E AU - Lunenfeld E FAU - Horowitz, S AU - Horowitz S FAU - Levy, A AU - Levy A FAU - Potashnik, G AU - Potashnik G