ReviewJournal of andrology
Immunophysiology and pathology of inflammation in the testis and epididymis.
Review in Journal of andrology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 95 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
95 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 223 citations in OpenAlex.
- Immunoregulatory mechanisms between epithelial clear cells and mononuclear phagocytes in the epididymis.Andrology · 2024Pooled it
- Urogenital Infection as a Risk Factor for Male Infertility.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2017Pooled it
- Loss-of-Function SSFA2 Variants Disrupt Fertility Through Impaired Acrosome Formation and Sperm Function.Andrology · 2026Article
- Chytridiomycosis infection and heat compromise sperm quality in a threatened frog.The Journal of experimental biology · 2026Article
- Obesity Induced by High-Fat Diet Affects Epididymal Sperm Motility by Regulating Macrophage Polarization.Biomedicines · 2026Article
- Innovative treatment approaches for azoospermia: causes, emerging techniques, and future directions.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Article
- Innate Immunity and Microbial Recognition in Reproduction: From Barrier Defense to Maternal-Fetal Tolerance.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026Review
- Special collection on immune regulation and inflammatory mechanisms in reproductive health and disease.Reproduction & fertility · 2026Article
- Immunological dynamics of the epididymis: from experimental insights to clinical translation.Reproduction & fertility · 2026Review
- Depletion of CX3CR1Mucosal immunology · 2026Article
- Probiotics as Microbiome Modulators in Male Infertility: Rethinking Dysbiosis Across the Gut-Testis Axis.Journal of personalized medicine · 2026Review
- Redox Perturbation in Cadmium-Mediated Hypothalamic, Pituitary, and Testicular Impairment and Protective Effects of Zinc in Rats Is Accompanied by Modulation of Tryptophan Catabolism Enzyme/Protein.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Article
- Article
- Advances in immune-inflammatory interactions within the testicular-penile microenvironment of varicocele patients: molecular mechanisms underlying erectile dysfunction and spermatogenic impairment.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Review
- Environmental influences on seminal plasma: Molecular and functional insights.The Journal of reproduction and development · 2026Review
- Polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt epididymal initial segment by perturbing NK cell differentiation and epithelial homeostasis.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2025Article
- Atorvastatin improves spermatogenesis in murine and in vitro human chronic orchitis models through restoring blood-testis barriers.Cell death discovery · 2025Article
- A comprehensive analysis of Atlantic salmon gonad and pituitary transcriptomes identifies novel players in sexual maturation.BMC genomics · 2025Article
- Effects of Goji Berry Supplementation on Immune-Related and Antioxidant Gene Expression in the Male Rabbit Reproductive Tract.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
35 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The ability of spermatogenic cells to evade the host immune system and the ability of systemic inflammation to inhibit male reproductive function represent two of the most intriguing conundrums of male reproduction. Clearly, an understanding of the underlying immunology of the male reproductive tract is crucial to resolving these superficially incompatible observations. One important consideration must be the very different immunological environments of the testis, where sperm develop, and the epididymis, where sperm mature and are stored. Compared with the elaborate blood-testis barrier, the tight junctions of the epididymis are much less effective. Unlike the seminiferous epithelium, immune cells are commonly observed within the epithelium, and can even be found within the lumen, of the epididymis. Crucially, there is little evidence for extended allograft survival (immune privilege) in the epididymis, as it exists in the testis, and the epididymis is much more susceptible to loss of immune tolerance. Moreover, the incidence of epididymitis is considerably greater than that of orchitis in humans, and susceptibility to sperm antibody formation after damage to the epididymis or vas deferens increases with increasing distance of the damage from the testis. Although we still know relatively little about testicular immunity, we know less about the interactions between the epididymis and the immune system. Given that the epididymis appears to be more susceptible to inflammation and immune reactions than the testis, and thereby represents the weaker link in protecting developing sperm from the immune system, it is probably time this imbalance in knowledge was addressed.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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 OpenQuestion graph.