Self-Reported Asthma Is Associated with Reduced Sperm Count—A Cross-Sectional Study of More than 6000 Young Men from the General Population

Asthma is driven by an inflammatory response that may impact testicular function. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association between self-reported asthma and testicular function (semen parameters, reproductive hormone levels), and determined whether potential further inflammation due to self-reported allergy modified this association. A total of 6177 men from the general population completed a questionnaire including information on doctor-diagnosed asthma or allergy, had a physical examination, delivered a semen sample, and had a blood sample drawn. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. A total of 656 (10.6%) men reported having ever been diagnosed with asthma. Generally, self-reported asthma was consistently associated with a poorer testicular function; however, few estimates were statistically significant. Specifically, self-reported asthma was associated with statistically significant lower total sperm count [median: 133 vs. 145 million; adjusted β (95% CI): −0.18 (−0.33 to −0.04) million on cubic-root-transformed scale] and borderline statistically significant lower sperm concentration compared with no self-reported asthma. The association between asthma and total sperm count was of similar magnitude among men with and without allergy. In conclusion, men with self-reported asthma had poorer testicular function than men without asthma. However, the cross-sectional design of the study limits ascertainment of causality.

[1]  J. Bernstein,et al.  Air Pollution Effects in Allergies and Asthma. , 2022, Immunology and allergy clinics of North America.

[2]  L. Priskorn,et al.  Environmental factors in declining human fertility , 2021, Nature Reviews Endocrinology.

[3]  B. Krijthe,et al.  Impaired fertility in men diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis: results of a large multicentre study (iFAME-Fertility) , 2021, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

[4]  S. Brunak,et al.  Semen quality and waiting time to pregnancy explored using association mining , 2020, Andrology.

[5]  L. Priskorn,et al.  A history of cryptorchidism is associated with impaired testicular function in early adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 6376 men from the general population. , 2020, Human reproduction.

[6]  Qin Zhang,et al.  Sperm quality and ambient air pollution exposure: A retrospective, cohort study in a Southern province of China. , 2020, Environmental research.

[7]  Baoming Wang,et al.  Why Do Intrauterine Exposure to Air Pollution and Cigarette Smoke Increase the Risk of Asthma? , 2020, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.

[8]  B. Stricker,et al.  Potential benefits of the use of sympathomimetics for asthmatic disease, on semen quality in men of subfertile couples. , 2019, Reproductive biomedicine online.

[9]  S. Małgorzewicz,et al.  Impact of allergic diseases on fertility , 2019, Postepy dermatologii i alergologii.

[10]  C. Ulrik,et al.  Female asthma and atopy – impact on fertility: a systematic review , 2019, Journal of asthma and allergy.

[11]  L. Priskorn,et al.  Average sperm count remains unchanged despite reduction in maternal smoking: results from a large cross-sectional study with annual investigations over 21 years , 2018, Human reproduction.

[12]  L. Baker,et al.  Increased risk of autoimmune disorders in infertile men: analysis of US claims data , 2018, Andrology.

[13]  J. Toppari,et al.  Compensated reduction in Leydig cell function is associated with lower semen quality variables: a study of 8182 European young men. , 2016, Human reproduction.

[14]  Z. Ding,et al.  Activation of Bcl-2-Caspase-9 Apoptosis Pathway in the Testis of Asthmatic Mice , 2016, PloS one.

[15]  V. Backer,et al.  Female Asthma Has a Negative Effect on Fertility: What Is the Connection? , 2014, ISRN allergy.

[16]  D. Zeldin,et al.  Characteristics of allergic sensitization among asthmatic adults older than 55 years: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2006. , 2013, Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.

[17]  Niels Jørgensen,et al.  Human semen quality in the new millennium: a prospective cross-sectional population-based study of 4867 men , 2012, BMJ Open.

[18]  E. L. Mortensen,et al.  A Comparison of Three Methods to Measure Asthma in Epidemiologic Studies: Results from the Danish National Birth Cohort , 2012, PloS one.

[19]  J. Toppari,et al.  Serum inhibin-b in fertile men is strongly correlated with low but not high sperm counts: a coordinated study of 1,797 European and US men. , 2010, Fertility and sterility.

[20]  D. Umetsu,et al.  The many paths to asthma: phenotype shaped by innate and adaptive immunity , 2010, Nature Immunology.

[21]  L. Lustig,et al.  Cytokines and chemokines in testicular inflammation: A brief review , 2009, Microscopy research and technique.

[22]  M. Hedger,et al.  A stereological analysis of the response of spermatogenesis to an acute inflammatory episode in adult rats. , 2006, Journal of andrology.

[23]  J W Overstreet,et al.  Sperm morphology, motility, and concentration in fertile and infertile men. , 2001, The New England journal of medicine.

[24]  A. Vermeulen,et al.  A critical evaluation of simple methods for the estimation of free testosterone in serum. , 1999, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[25]  T. K. Jensen,et al.  Relation between semen quality and fertility: a population-based study of 430 first-pregnancy planners , 1998, The Lancet.

[26]  N. Skakkebaek,et al.  Ultrasonic texture and volume of testicles in infertile men. , 1994, Human reproduction.

[27]  Xiaosong Li,et al.  Association between air pollution and sperm quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. , 2016, Environmental pollution.

[28]  Organización Mundial de la Salud WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen , 2010 .