The World Journal of Men's Health (Jan 2021)

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Seropositive Men in Serodiscordant Couples: Effects on the Assisted Reproductive Outcomes

  • Gianmartin Cito,
  • Maria Elisabetta Coccia,
  • Rossella Fucci,
  • Rita Picone,
  • Andrea Cocci,
  • Maurizio Sessa,
  • Francesco Sessa,
  • Francesca Rizzello,
  • Elisabetta Micelli,
  • Michele Trotta,
  • Laura Badolato,
  • Riccardo Campi,
  • Luciana Criscuoli,
  • Sergio Serni,
  • Marco Carini,
  • Alessandro Natali

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.190121
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 39, no. 1
pp. 99 – 106

Abstract

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Purpose: To evaluate the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in men of serodiscordant couples on the reproductive outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 134 infertile couples were included in this retrospective single-center cohort study. Sixty-six couples had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-seropositive men and seronegative partners, while 68 couples were controls with both seronegative men and women. Overall, 134 fresh in-vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments were performed. As the main outcome measures, on the day of the fresh IVF/ICSI cycle, we assessed seminal parameters Before and after sperm preparation techniques. Two-pronuclear (2PN) fertilization, 1-2-3PN fertilization, cleavage, miscarriage, pregnancy and live birth rates were collected. Results: No significant differences were found between groups in terms of oocytes retrieved, oocytes injected and embryos obtained (p=0.64, p=0.97, and p=0.40, respectively). The 2PN fertilization rate (FR) was comparable among groups (p=0.51). The 1-2-3PN FR was significantly lower in the HBsAg group than in the control group (66.6% vs. 69.7%, respectively). The clinical pregnancy per cycle, implantation, miscarriage and live birth rate were comparable between the HBsAg group and the control group. The median sperm concentration/ml and total sperm count, measured at baseline and after sperm preparation, was comparable between groups (p>0.05). There was a trend toward significant lower progressive motility (35.0% vs. 55.0%; p<0.05) in the HBsAg group at baseline and after sperm preparation (p<0.05). Conclusions: HBV infected men have the same chance to became father, compared to seronegative patients.

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