1. [Semen quality and HIV RNA level in HIV/AIDS male patients after treated by highly active antiretroviral therapy].
- Author
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Zhu XR, Li LH, Fan LX, Li BJ, Lan Y, Li F, Zheng SL, Zhong HL, He RY, and Yang LP
- Subjects
- Adult, Female, Flow Cytometry, HIV Infections virology, Humans, Male, Pregnancy, Semen, Sperm Count, Sperm Motility, Spermatozoa, Young Adult, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, HIV Infections drug therapy, RNA, Viral analysis, Semen Analysis
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the semen quality of the HIV/AIDS male patients after treated by the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and their potential of transmitting HIV/AIDS and provide some evidence for this cohort of males who wish for parenthood., Methods: We collected semen samples from 20 HIV/AIDS male patients who had been treated by HAART for over 6 months and wished for parenthood. We examined sperm concentration, viability and total motility and the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (MNS) using the computer-assisted semen analysis system, measured the HIV-1 RNA loads in the semen by the Cobas Amplicor Monitor test, and counted CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood by flow cytometry., Results: The patients were aged 25-40 (30.7 ± 5.05) years. After treated by HAART for 6-26 (14.24 ± 12.26) months, the count of blood CD4+ T cells was significantly increased (341-1 058 [535.76 ± 212.021] /μl) in comparison with the baseline (226-965 [422.38 ± 200.86] /μl). Compared with the normal value, the semen volume was increased except in 1 case (≥2 ml) while total sperm motility was decreased in 13 cases (≥40%), and so were sperm concentration in 2 cases (≥15 × 106 / ml), sperm viability in 5 (58%), the percentage of progressively motile sperm in 18 (≥32%), and the percentage of MNS in 6 (≤4%). HIV-1 RNA in the peripheral blood was <20 copies/mL in all the cases and that in the seminal plasma was also <20 copies/ml in 18 cases but >20 copies/mL in the other 2 ([4.70 × 101] and [2.2 × 102] copies/ml, respectively). Of the 4 couples that had sex without protective measures for over 6 months, all the 4 female partners exhibited negative HIV antibodies in regular follow-up examinations and 1 achieved spontaneous pregnancy and healthy birth, with negative HIV-1 RNA in both the mother and the baby., Conclusions: The HIV RNA level is higher in the semen than in the blood of the HIV/AIDS male patients after HAART, which indicates the potential risk of their semen transmitting HIV/AIDS to their female partners. Their sperm concentration and total sperm motility are lower than the normal value, which suggests a decreased fertility.
- Published
- 2018