Exogenous Metals Indirectly Affect Human Semen Quality via Immune Cells at Single-Cell Resolution.

ABSTRACT: Immune modulation is crucial for male reproduction and fertility. Metals and metalloids (metals) have been extensively studied for their immunomodulatory effects. Whether metal exposure affects semen quality through immune modulation is unclear. In the present study, we explored the associations between exogenous metals within immune cells, immune cell proportions, and semen quality among 84 healthy men who repeatedly provided 266 semen samples over 90 days. We employed mass cytometry (CyTOF) technology to identify immune cells in semen and measured exogenous metals in these cells at the single-cell resolution. After adjusting for potential confounders, most detected metals in immune cells were inversely associated with the proportion of immune cells in semen samples (all p < 0.05),

SUBMITTER: Liu N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12455338 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature