OBJECTIVESTo study the impact of asymptomatic prostatitis on semen parameters.

METHODBased on the count of WBC in EPS, we assigned 152 patients with asymptomatic (type IV) prostatitis to Groups A (WBC + to + +) and B (WBC + + + to + + + +), and included 68 normal healthy men controls in Group C. All the patients were examined for the volume, pH value and liquefaction time of the semen, sperm concentration, sperm survival rate, grade a sperm percentage, morphologically normal sperm percentage, WBC count, and accompanying inflammatory cytokines.

RESULTSThe semen liquefaction time, grade a sperm percentage and morphologically normal sperm percentage were (24.5 +/- 5.2) min, 20.0 +/- 4.1 and 10.5 +/- 4.8 in Group A, (30.4 +/- 5.0) min, 10.0 +/- 3.8 and 7.5 +/- 4.2 in Group B, and (18.5 +/- 5.3) min, 32.3 +/- 4.5 and 17.8 +/- 3.6 in Group C, with statistically significant differences between A and B (P < 0.01). The pH value, semen volume, sperm survival rate and sperm concentration were 7.6 +/- 0.3, (3.0 +/- 1.1) ml, 56.0 +/- 6.0 and (65.9 +/- 11.3) x 10(6)/ml in Group A, 7.7 +/- 0.3, (2.8 +/- 1.2) ml, 52.3 +/- 6.3 and (62.5 +/- 10.3) x 10(6)/ml in Group B, and 7.5 +/- 0.2, (2.9 +/- 1.2) ml, 62.1.0 +/- 5.3 and (87.7 +/- 10.1) x 10(6)/ml in Group C, with no significant differences among the three groups (P > 0.05). The contents of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the semen were (58.64 +/- 30.82) pg/ml and (50.57 +/- 27.48) pg/ml in Group B, significantly increased as compared with (17.68 +/- 5.65) pg/ml and (23.50 +/- 4.80) pg/ml in Group C (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAsymptomatic prostatitis effects significant changes in the major parameters of the patient's semen quality.