Despite all the defense mechanisms and immune-privileged properties of the testes, infection, inflammations and autoimmunity have a great burden on male fertility. About 10 % of infertility in male is accredited to auto-immune or inflammatory problems. Reproductive tract infections represent about 3 % of the health problems in men worldwide according to the World Health Organization.
New rising cytokine in inflammatory process and as provocation factor for many other cytokines and regulating them is interleukin 17 (IL17).
We know that any inflammatory problem has a great burden on male infertility, this inflammation starts with T-lymphocyte subsets, in which TH17 cells plays a major role.
IL-17 found to affect the blood testicular barrier and thus may trigger autoimmunity and inflammation to the testis, IL17 disrupts Sertoli cell barrier. IL17 enhances recruitment of other immune cells specifically macrophages, and itself IL17 leads to harmful effect on germ cell and seminiferous epithelium.
Aim of the work:
To evaluate the correlation between semen IL-17 level with seminal parameters in infertile males.