Male urogenital tract infection is one of the most important
causes of male infertility, worldwide since genital tract
infection and inflammation have been associated with 8-35%
of male infertility cases1. Bacteriospermia is defined as the
presence of bacteria in seminal fluid samples2.
Bacteriospermia may play a major role in infertility3,4. Male
accessory sex glands infection is a major risk factor in
infertility5. The significance of pathophysiology of
bacteriospermia has been seriously discussed in recent years.
Some possible pathomechanisms of the development of
infertility linked with infection are considered: direct effect on
sperm function (motility, morphology), deterioration of
spermatogenesis, autoimmune processes induced by
inflammation and dysfunction of accessory sex glands4.
Hence, microbiological investigation of male partners in
infertile couple can be useful to detect the male urogenital
tract infection, especially asymptomatic infections.
The isolation of microorganisms from seminal fluid especially of
infertile men had been widely reported6,7. It is always
recommended that microbiological study of semen can be
performed in asymptomatic infertile men with leukocytospermia.
Aerobic and anaerobic culture of semen can detect a wide range
of urogenital pathogens8. The most widely studied genital
microorganism in relation to male infertility is Escherichia coli,
which is also the principal microorganism that causes prostatitis
and epididymitis. Infections in the reproductive tract of infertile
men have been acknowledged for decades. Until recently, the
condition of leukocytospermia was used as an indicator of genital
tract infection9. However, a relatively large number of men who
attend fertility clinics exhibit leukocytospermia without symptoms
of genital infections, indicating that there is not a necessary
relationship between infections in the genital tract and the amount
of leukocytes or antisperm antibodies in semen10. This study was
suggested and designated to Investigate the relationship between
bacteriospermia and leukocytospermia in infertile male with Asthenospermia and Studying some of the virulence factors andantimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the isolated bacteria.