Sperm parameters before and after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination
Gonzalez DC, Nassau DE, Khodamoradi K, et al. Sperm parameters before and after COVID-19mRNA vaccination. Jama. Published online June 17, 2021. doi: 10.1001 / jama.2021.9976
Commentary.
The mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) have been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA, partly due to the high efficacy found in clinical trials and the fact that only a few adverse events have been identified. However, it was reported that only 56% of individuals in the US wanted to be vaccinated, and it was also stated that reproductive toxicity was a concern as a factor. This study will be an evaluation of sperm parameters before and after mRNA vaccine administration.
In a single-center prospective study conducted at the University of Miami, healthy volunteers aged 18-50 years who were scheduled to receive the mRNACOVID-19 vaccine were recruited, patients with COVID-19 symptoms or positive test results within 90 days were excluded, and provided semen samples 2-7 days after abstinence, before receiving the first vaccine dose, and approximately 70 days after the second vaccine dose.
Semen analysis was performed by a trained andrologist following World Health Organization guidelines and included semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and total motile sperm count (TMSC).
As a result, 45 men volunteered and a follow-up sample was obtained at a median of 75 days (IQR, 70-86) after the second dose. The study ended on April 24, 2021, and the baseline sample was obtained after a median abstinence period of 2.8 days (IQR, 2-3), and the follow-up sample was obtained after a median of 3 days (IQR, 3-4).
Of the 45 men, 21 (46.7%) received BNT162b2 and 24 (53.3%) were vaccinated with mRNA-1273. baseline sperm concentration and TMSC were 26 million/mL (IQR, 19.5-34) and 36 million (IQR, 18-51), respectively. the second After the second vaccine administration, the median sperm concentration increased significantly to 30 million/mL (IQR, 21.5-40.5; P = .02) and the median TMSC to 44 million (IQR, 27.5-98; P). Semen volume and sperm motility also increased substantially.
Limitations of this study include the small number of men enrolled. The limited generalizability and short follow-up beyond young, healthy men, the lack of a control group, and furthermore, although semen analysis is the basis of the men's childbearing assessment, it is an imperfect predictor of the likelihood of childbearing.
As for the increase, the length of the abstinence period and other factors are explained, so it is important to note that there was no harm rather than an increase in the number, but the limitations must also be considered.
