Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23993888›Full record

ArticleFertility and sterility2013

Microbiota of the seminal fluid from healthy and infertile men.

Dongsheng Hou, Xia Zhou, Xue Zhong, Matthew L Settles, Jessica Herring, Li Wang, Zaid Abdo, Larry J Forney, Chen Xu

3 registry-linked trialsAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Fertility and sterility, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 120 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
120citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–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.

NCT02585297 unknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2015, after this paper: background citation

The Presence of Microbes in the Sperm and Their Impact on Sperm Capacitation and IVF Treatment

TypeobservationalSponsorMeir Medical CenterRan2015Enrolled200ConditionsInfertilityArmsno intervention
NCT04784260 completednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Microbiome Influence on Seminal Quality on Semen Donors

TypeobservationalSponsorInstituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, IVI AlicanteRan2020 to 2023Enrolled40ConditionsInfertility, MaleArmsMicrobiome analysis
NCT05514223 recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

MeaSuring Free radIcals With Diamond magnetometrRy In hUman Single Sperm Cells Related to Microbiota and Lifestyle Factors

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity Medical Center GroningenRan2024 to 2027Enrolled80ConditionsInfertility, Male, InfertilityArmsBiomaterial collection for observational purpose
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

120 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  18. Semen Microbiome, Male Infertility, and Reproductive Health.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  19. Understanding the Associations of Urogenital Microbiomes With Fertility and In Vitro Fertilization.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2025
    Review
  20. Article

60 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Dongsheng HouDepartment of Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Xia Zhou
Xue Zhong
Matthew L Settles
Jessica Herring
Li Wang
Zaid Abdo
Larry J Forney
Chen Xu

Funding

Serologic Biomarkers of Human Sexually Transmitted Infection and DiseaseU19AI084044 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · PI KO, DENNIS CHUN-YONE · 2009 to 2018
$22.8M
The Evolution of Protein FlexibilityP20RR016448 · NCRR · UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO · PI ROBISON, BARRIE D · 2002 to 2011
$19.3M
NCRR NIH HHS P20 RR016448NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI084044
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo explore potential causes of male infertility by determining the composition and structure of commensal bacterial communities in seminal fluids.

designMicroscopy of Gram-stained semen samples and classification of 16S rRNA gene sequences to determine the species composition of semen bacterial communities.

settingClinical andrology laboratory and academic research laboratories. PATIENT(S): Nineteen sperm donors and 58 infertility patients. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Classification of 16S rRNA gene sequences, clustering of seminal microbial communities, and multiple statistical tests. RESULT(S): High numbers of diverse kinds of bacteria were present in most samples of both sperm donors and infertility patients. The bacterial communities varied widely among subjects, but they could be clustered into six groups based on similarities in composition and the rank abundances of taxa. Overall, there were no significant differences between sperm donors and infertility patients. However, multiple statistical tests showed a significant negative association between sperm quality and the presence of Anaerococcus. The results also indicated that many of the bacterial taxa identified in semen also occur in the vaginal communities of some women, especially those with bacterial vaginosis, which suggests that heterosexual sex partners may share bacteria. CONCLUSION(S): Diverse kinds of bacteria were present in the human semen, but there were no significant differences between sperm donors and infertility patients. The presence of Anaerococcus might be a biomarker for low sperm quality.

Indexed as

AdultBacteriaCase-Control StudiesCluster AnalysisCross-Sectional StudiesDNA, BacterialGenetic MarkersHumansInfertility, MaleMaleOdds RatioProportional Hazards ModelsRibotypingRisk FactorsRNA, Ribosomal, 16SSemenDNA, BacterialGenetic MarkersRNA, Ribosomal, 16Sbacterial communitiesfertilitymicrobiomereproductionSemen

Identifiers

PMID23993888
PMCPMC3888793

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

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.