Detection of cytomegalovirus in semen from a population of men seeking infertility evaluation

Objective: To determine the incidence of cytomegalovirus in the ejaculates of infertile men who were seropositive for IgG antibodies to cytomegalovirus. Design: Prospective study. Patient(s): We tested cytomegalovirus infection in the semen of men participating in an IVF-ET program. Main Outcome Measure(s): IgG and IgM antibodies to cytomegalovirus were measured in sera. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cell culture to look for both cytomegalovirus DNA and infectious virus in the semen of 70 men with cytomegalovirus-specific antibodies detected in sera. Result(s): Of the infertile couples, 13.5% exhibited ''mismatching'' serology (i.e., detection of IgG antibodies to cytomegalovirus in male serum only and not in female serum) and constituted a potential risk for cytomegalovirus transmission. Cytomegalovirus was identified in the semen of two patients who were positive for IgG antibodies to cytomegalovirus. Cytomegalovirus DNA also was detected in one positive sample after centrifugation through a three-layer Percoll gradient. Conclusion(s): Human cytomegalovirus was present in the semen from a population of infertile men. Rapid detection can be achieved by molecular techniques such as PCR combined with a hybridization assay. Even though cytomegalovirus was infrequently detected in semen, these data must be considered in determining the risk of transmission and developmental anomalies in infected fetuses. (C) 1997 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.