Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41745086›Full record

ArticleDiseases (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Seminal Interleukin-6 as a Biomarker of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Sperm Dysfunction in Infertile Men.

Loïc Koumba, Mariame Kabbour, Salma Ed-Doumy, Mariem Norredine, Ahlam Zarhouti, Modou Mamoune Mbaye, Bouchra Ghazi, Noureddine Louanjli, Moncef Benkhalifa, Rajaa Ait Mhand and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Loïc KoumbaLaboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.ORCID 0009-0002-0528-8093
Mariame KabbourLabomac IVF Centers and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.
Salma Ed-DoumyLaboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.ORCID 0009-0005-0496-5533
Mariem NorredineLaboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.
Ahlam ZarhoutiLaboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.
Modou Mamoune MbayeLabomac IVF Centers and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.ORCID 0000-0002-0742-8080
Bouchra GhaziFaculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health (UM6SS), Casablanca 82403, Morocco.
Noureddine LouanjliLabomac IVF Centers and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.
Moncef BenkhalifaReproductive Medicine, Developmental and Reproductive Biology, Regional University Hospital & School of Medicine and Peritox Laboratory, Picardie University Jules Verne, 80054 Amiens, France.
Rajaa Ait MhandLaboratory of Chemistry-Physics and Biotechnology of Biomolecules and Materials, Faculty of Science and Technology Mohemmadia, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca 28806, Morocco.ORCID 0000-0003-1473-0867
Ouafaa Aniq FilaliLaboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco.ORCID 0000-0003-3351-2195

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesInterleukin-6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic cytokine involved in immune regulation, is consistently detected in human semen, even in the absence of overt infection. Its contribution to sperm dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation remains incompletely understood. This study evaluated the associations between seminal IL-6 concentrations and markers of semen quality, oxidative stress, nuclear integrity, and genital tract inflammation in infertile men.

methodsA cohort of 204 infertile men was assessed. Seminal IL-6 was quantified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Semen parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) activity, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), sperm chromatin decondensation index (SDI), leukocytospermia, and bacteriospermia were measured. Analyses included correlation testing, IL-6 threshold stratification (<30, 30-60, 60-100, ≥100 pg/mL), and multivariate regression.

resultsIL-6 was detectable in all samples (median: 31.52 pg/mL; range: 1.5-5000 pg/mL). Higher IL-6 levels were significantly associated with reduced sperm concentration, progressive motility, and vitality, and with increased DFI, SDI, MDA, leukocyte counts, and bacteriospermia (

conclusionsSeminal IL-6 emerges as a sensitive biomarker of immuno-oxidative stress and sperm dysfunction in infertile men. Its integration into clinical evaluation may improve the assessment of inflammatory and oxidative contributors to male infertility.

Indexed as

bacteriospermialeukocytospermiamale infertilityoxidative stressseminal IL-6sperm chromatin decondensationsperm DNA fragmentationsperm quality

Identifiers

PMID41745086
PMCPMC12939281

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.