Evaluate the Correlation between the Expression of Androgen Receptor Gene and level of Some Interluken in Semen Sample with Varicocele

Abstract

A varicocele is an anomalous enlargement and twisting of the veins in the spermatic cord. Varicoceles are a prevalent condition in the general population and are often discovered during normal medical examinations. However, they are the most frequent correctable cause of male factor infertility. The aim of the current study was design to investigate the immunological parameters, gene expression profiles, and their correlations in varicocele and non-varicocele oligospermic patients compared to healthy controls, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying male infertility. A total of 120 human male personals were involved in this study over the period from October 2023 to January 2024. Seminal fluid samples were collected from patients who were diagnosed with varicocele confirmed oligospermia (40 samples) and non-varicocele oligospermia (40 samples), in addition to 40 healthy males as control. Demographically, the distribution of the study groups according to age (20-35 and 36-50) among different groups showed no significant variation. The mean age was 34.97±6.5, 31.23±6.7 and 32.0±7.5 for control, varicocele, and non-varicocele oligospermia patients, respectively. According to body mass index, no significant differences in mean of BMI among groups was observed. With respect to alcohol consumption, all participants were non-alcohol consumer, while the distribution of smoking habit among groups revealed a significant difference for varicocele smoking patients (73%) and non-varicocele oligospermic smokers (77%) compared with the proportion of smoking control (22%).   The level of IL-18 and Il-37 was estimated in the seminal plasma of tested groups using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) technique. The seminal plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 were significantly elevated in both varicocele and non-varicocele oligospermic patients compared with control, suggesting its potential role in the pathogenesis of these conditions. Interestingly, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-37 was also significantly increased, possibly as a compensatory mechanism to counterbalance the pro-inflammatory state. Notably, the level of seminal anti-sperm antibodies (ASAbs) was significantly higher in varicocele patients compared to the other groups, indicating an autoimmune component in varicocele-related male infertility. The role of androgen receptor (AR) gene expression in varicocele disease was detected using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The fold of gene expression results by RT-PCR technique revealed a significant downregulation of (AR) gene expression in varicocele patients compared with control. In conclusion, no significant correlation was found between the expression of AR and the levels of IL-18, IL-37, or ASAbs, indicating that the alterations in these parameters may involve distinct molecular pathway.