Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35471630›Full record

ArticleInfection2022

Asymptomatic bacteriospermia and infertility-what is the connection?

Yannic Volz, Benedikt Ebner, Paulo Pfitzinger, Elena Berg, Ekaterina Lellig, Julian Marcon, Matthias Trottmann, Armin Becker, Christian G Stief, Giuseppe Magistro

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The impact ofInternational journal of reproductive biomedicine · 2026
    Article
  2. Effects of Ureaplasma urealyticum infection in human genital tract on sperm DNA and semen quality in male patients.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Article
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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

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yannic VolzDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Benedikt EbnerDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Paulo PfitzingerDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Elena BergDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Ekaterina LelligDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Julian MarconDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Matthias TrottmannUrologie und Andrologie am Promenadeplatz, Munich, Germany.
Armin BeckerDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Christian G StiefDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Giuseppe MagistroDepartment of Urology, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany. Giuseppe.Magistro@med.uni-muenchen.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9872-7766
LMU Klinikum · DEMünchen Klinik · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine the impact of asymptomatic bacteriospermia on semen quality in subfertile men.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective, single-centre cohort study in 1300 subfertile men. In those diagnosed with asymptomatic bacteriospermia we performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to evaluate the strain-specific association with semen parameters.

resultsAsymptomatic bacteriospermia was diagnosed in 3.2% of patients. The microbiological semen analysis revealed a poly-microbial result in 60%. The most common bacterial species were coagulase-negative Staphylococci species (71.4%), Streptococcus viridans (50.0%) and Enterococcus faecalis (26.2%). Sexually transmitted pathogens were identified in 11.9% of semen samples. The detection of Streptococcus viridians or Haemophilus parainfluenzae correlated with impaired sperm morphology (p < 0.05). The presence of coagulase-negative Staphylococci species or Enterococcus faecalis was associated with pathological low counts of live spermatozoa (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis only Enterococcus faecalis showed a significant impact on sperm concentration (OR 4.48; 95% CI 1.06-22.10; p = 0.041).

conclusionsAsymptomatic bacteriospermia has always been a subject of great controversy. There is still an ongoing debate whether to treat or not to treat. Here, we demonstrate that asymptomatic bacteriospermia is clearly associated with impaired semen quality. Our findings speak in favour of strain-specific interactions with semen parameters. Especially Enterococcus faecalis seriously affects sperm concentration.

Indexed as

Infertility, MaleSemen AnalysisCoagulaseCohort StudiesEnterococcus faecalisHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesSemenStaphylococcusCoagulaseBacteriospermiaInfertilitySpermiogramUrinary tract infection

Identifiers

PMID35471630
PMCPMC9705509
OpenAlexW4224435112

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.