Abstract
<jats:p>Background. Too many reactive oxygen species in the sperm can make men unable to have children. Certain physiological concentrations of reactive oxygen species are needed for many natural processes, such as the maturation of sperm, the response between acrosomes, and the fertilization. The purpose of this study was to find out how much glutathione S-transferase (GST), human total oxidant status (TOS), interleukin (IL) 17, and IL-23 were present in seminal plasma from different groups of infertile men and to look into the roles that these factors play in male infertility. Materials and methods. This study was done to fill in some of the gaps in male reproductive endocrinology. Ninety male patients between the ages of 20 and 60 who went to the High Institute of Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technology at Al-Nahrain University between January and November 2024 were part of this study. They were divided into groups based on the number of sperm they had: 9 azoospermic men, 31 asthenozoospermic men, 21 normozoospermic men, and 29 oligozoospermic men. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the amounts of GST, human TOS, IL-17, and IL-23 in the seminal fluid. Results. The concentration of GST in oligozoospermia was significantly the highest when compared to the azoospermia and asthenozoospermia. Meanwhile, the TOS in oligozoospermia men revealed a significant increase versus other infertile groups. In respect to the interleukins, the only significant statistical changes have been observed in IL-17 level in oligozoospermia compared to normozoospermia and asthenozoospermia. At the same time, no significant differences were found in IL-23. Conclusions. Checking the activity of GST in the sperm cells of men who can’t have children may help with figuring out their fertility and seeing how well antioxidants work as a cure. The results show that IL-17 changes the properties of seminal fluid, which in turn affects a man’s ability to have children. It is linked to inflammation and infection in the testis and other male genital organs, and it could be a good target for treatment in these situations.</jats:p>