Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34531872›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in immunology2021

Varicocele-Mediated Male Infertility: From the Perspective of Testicular Immunity and Inflammation.

Yiwei Fang, Yufang Su, Jia Xu, Zhiyong Hu, Kai Zhao, Chunyan Liu, Huiping Zhang

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in immunology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 79 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
79citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
16.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

79 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 127 citations in OpenAlex.

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  16. Advances in immunological research on male infertility.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2026
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19 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Yiwei FangInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Yufang SuInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Jia XuInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Zhiyong HuInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Kai ZhaoInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Chunyan LiuInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Huiping ZhangInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Varicocele (VC) is present in 35 - 40% of men with infertility. However, current surgical and antioxidant treatments are not completely effective. In addition to oxidative stress, it is likely that other factors such as testicular immune microenvironment disorder contribute to irreversible testicular. Evidence suggests that VC is associated with anti-sperm antibodies (ASAs), spermatogenesis and testosterone secretion abnormalities, and testicular cytokine production. Moreover, inhibition of inflammation can alleviate VC-mediated pathogenesis. The normal function of the testis depends on its immune tolerance mechanism. Testicular immune regulation is complex, and many infectious or non-infectious diseases may damage this precision system. Results: The testicular immune microenvironment is composed of common immune cells and other cells involved in testicular immunity. The former includes testicular macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and mast cells, whereas the latter include Leydig cells and Sertoli cells (SCs). In animal models and in patients with VC, most studies have revealed an abnormal increase in the levels of ASAs and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in the seminal plasma, testicular tissue, and even peripheral blood. It is also involved in the activation of potential inflammatory pathways, such as the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing (NLRP)-3 pathway. Finally, the development of VC-mediated infertility (VMI) may be facilitated by abnormal permeability of proteins, such as claudin-11, that constitute the blood-testis barrier (BTB). Conclusions: The testicular immune response, including the production of ASAs and inflammatory factors, activation of inflammatory pathways, and destruction of the BTB may be involved in the pathogenesis of VMI it is necessary to further explore how patient outcomes can be improved through immunotherapy.

Indexed as

FertilityAnimalsCellular MicroenvironmentHumansImmunotherapyInfertility, MaleInflammation MediatorsMaleOrchitisSignal TransductionTestisVaricoceleInflammation Mediatorsinflammationmale infertilityspermtesticular immunityvaricocele

Identifiers

PMID34531872
PMCPMC8438154
OpenAlexW3196378402

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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 OpenQuestion graph.