Association Between Prolonged Shedding of Zika Virus in Human Semen and Male Reproductive Tract Inflammation

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes congenital defects. Sexual transmission of ZIKV was confirmed in a recent epidemic; however, mechanisms behind ZIKV infection and persistence in the male reproductive tract (MRT) are unknown. Previously, we found that approximately 33% of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2022-09, Vol.226 (7), p.1140-1150
Main Authors: Vogt, Megan B, McDonald, Erin M, Delorey, Mark, Mead, Paul S, Hook, Sarah A, Hinckley, Alison F, Werre, Stephen R, Brault, Aaron C, Duggal, Nisha K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cytokines
Humans
Inflammation
Major
Male
RNA
Semen
Virus Shedding
Zika Virus - genetics
Zika Virus Infection
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes congenital defects. Sexual transmission of ZIKV was confirmed in a recent epidemic; however, mechanisms behind ZIKV infection and persistence in the male reproductive tract (MRT) are unknown. Previously, we found that approximately 33% of men with symptomatic ZIKV infections shed ZIKV RNA in semen, and some men shed ZIKV RNA for >3 months. Here, we evaluated the semen of 49 ZIKV-infected men to identify immune factors correlating with long-term ZIKV shedding in semen and ZIKV-infected cell types in semen. We found that prolonged ZIKV RNA shedding in semen was associated with MRT inflammation, indicated by higher leukocyte counts and inflammatory cytokine concentrations in semen of long-term versus short-term shedders. In addition, we found ZIKV RNA in seminal leukocytes and epithelial cells. This study of human semen from ZIKV-infected men provides critical insights into the effects of ZIKV on MRT health.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/jiac329