ArticleInflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.]2021
COVID-19 disrupts the blood-testis barrier through the induction of inflammatory cytokines and disruption of junctional proteins.
Article in Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.], 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring the link between periodontal disease and sperm quality: a comprehensive systematic review study.BMC oral health · 2025Pooled it
- Trial
- A porcine model of chronic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection identifies male reproductive glands as sites of viral persistence.Virulence · 2026Article
- Paternal cytokine administration alters sperm small ncRNAs and offspring brain and behavior.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- ALKBH5 facilitates Srgn stability via m6A demethylation to disrupt blood-testis barrier integrity in the high-fat diet mice.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026Article
- Inflammation-Driven Remodeling of the Blood-Testis Barrier: Roles of Junctional Complexes, Actin Dynamics, and Kinase Signaling.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Ultrastructural Features, Immune Response, and Junctional Proteins in the Seminiferous Epithelium of SARS-CoV-2-Infected Mice.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Pathogenic breaches: how viruses compromise blood-tissue barriers.Tissue barriers · 2026Review
- Has the Number of Pediatric Testicular Torsion Cases Abated After the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic?Cureus · 2026Article
- A survey of SARS-CoV-2 tropism.Infectious diseases & immunity · 2025Review
- Article
- Systemic impacts of diabetes on spermatogenesis and intervention strategies: multilayered mechanism analysis and cutting-edge therapeutic approaches.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2025Review
- Short peptide perturbs spermatogenesis via immune microenvironment dysregulation and mitochondrial imbalance.FEBS open bio · 2025Article
- Repercussion of SARS-CoV-2 on the Sexual Function in Males: An Updated Review.Infectious disorders drug targets · 2025Review
- Sertoli cells as a hub in testicular development and male reproductive.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025Review
- Immunometabolism and male reproductive function: linking inflammation, oxidative stress, and declining fertility.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Testicular immunity.Molecular aspects of medicine · 2024Review
- Sperm quality and sexual function after the first COVID-19 infection during the omicron surge: an observational study in southwest China.Translational andrology and urology · 2024Article
- SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and semen quality: a study based on sperm donor candidate data in southwest China.Translational andrology and urology · 2024Article
- Comprehensive evaluation of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on sperm parameters and sex hormones.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveJunctional proteins are the most important component of the blood-testis barrier and maintaining the integrity of this barrier is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. The present study elucidated the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in patients who died from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) complications.
methodsIn this study, lung and testis tissue was collected from autopsies of COVID-19 positive (n = 10) and negative men (n = 10) and was taken for stereology, immunocytochemistry, and RNA extraction.
resultsEvaluation of the lung tissue showed that the SARS-CoV-2 infection caused extensive damage to the lung tissue and also increases inflammation in testicular tissue and destruction of the testicular blood barrier. Autopsied testicular specimens of COVID-19 showed that COVID-19 infection significantly changes the spatial arrangement of testicular cells and notably decreased the number of Sertoli cells. Moreover, the immunohistochemistry results showed a significant reduction in the protein expression of occluding, claudin-11, and connexin-43 in the COVID-19 group. In addition, we also observed a remarkable enhancement in protein expression of CD68 in the testes of the COVID-19 group in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, the result showed that the expression of TNF-α, IL1β, and IL6 was significantly increased in COVID-19 cases as well as the expression of occludin, claudin-11, and connexin-43 was decreased in COVID-19 cases.
conclusionsOverall, the present study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 could induce the up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine and down-regulation of junctional proteins of the BTB, which can disrupt BTB and ultimately impair spermatogenesis.
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