{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T19:02:19Z","timestamp":1790622139143,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]],"date-time":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769731200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diseases"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic cytokine involved in immune regulation, is consistently detected in human semen, even in the absence of overt infection. Its contribution to sperm dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation remains incompletely understood. This study evaluated the associations between seminal IL-6 concentrations and markers of semen quality, oxidative stress, nuclear integrity, and genital tract inflammation in infertile men. Methods: A cohort of 204 infertile men was assessed. Seminal IL-6 was quantified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Semen parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) activity, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), sperm chromatin decondensation index (SDI), leukocytospermia, and bacteriospermia were measured. Analyses included correlation testing, IL-6 threshold stratification (&lt;30, 30\u201360, 60\u2013100, \u2265100 pg\/mL), and multivariate regression. Results: IL-6 was detectable in all samples (median: 31.52 pg\/mL; range: 1.5\u20135000 pg\/mL). Higher IL-6 levels were significantly associated with reduced sperm concentration, progressive motility, and vitality, and with increased DFI, SDI, MDA, leukocyte counts, and bacteriospermia (p &lt; 0.001). In multivariate models, IL-6 independently predicted reduced progressive motility (\u03b2 = \u22120.005; p = 0.032) and elevated leukocyte count (\u03b2 = 0.0018; p &lt; 0.0001). Logistic regression further showed that IL-6 increased the odds of DFI \u2265 30%, SDI \u2265 30%, and bacteriospermia (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: Seminal IL-6 emerges as a sensitive biomarker of immuno-oxidative stress and sperm dysfunction in infertile men. Its integration into clinical evaluation may improve the assessment of inflammatory and oxidative contributors to male infertility.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diseases14020049","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]],"date-time":"2026-01-30T13:04:46Z","timestamp":1769778286000},"page":"49","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Seminal Interleukin-6 as a Biomarker of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Sperm Dysfunction in Infertile Men"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0528-8093","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lo\u00efc","family":"Koumba","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"},{"name":"Labomac IVF Centers and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"},{"name":"IVF Center IRIFIV, Iris Clinic, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariame","family":"Kabbour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Labomac IVF Centers and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"},{"name":"IVF Center IRIFIV, Iris Clinic, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"},{"name":"Laboratory of Chemistry-Physics and Biotechnology of Biomolecules and Materials, Faculty of Science and Technology Mohemmadia, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca 28806, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-0496-5533","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Salma","family":"Ed-doumy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariem","family":"Norredine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahlam","family":"Zarhouti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0742-8080","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Modou Mamoune","family":"Mbaye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Labomac IVF Centers and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"},{"name":"IVF Center IRIFIV, Iris Clinic, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"},{"name":"Immunopathology-Immunotherapy-Immunomonitoring Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Health and Sciences, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health (UM6SS), Casablanca 82403, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bouchra","family":"Ghazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health (UM6SS), Casablanca 82403, Morocco"},{"name":"Mohamed VI Center for Research & Innovation (CM6RI), Rabat 10112, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Noureddine","family":"Louanjli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Labomac IVF Centers and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"},{"name":"IVF Center IRIFIV, Iris Clinic, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Moncef","family":"Benkhalifa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Reproductive Medicine, Developmental and Reproductive Biology, Regional University Hospital & School of Medicine and Peritox Laboratory, Picardie University Jules Verne, 80054 Amiens, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1473-0867","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rajaa","family":"Ait Mhand","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Chemistry-Physics and Biotechnology of Biomolecules and Materials, Faculty of Science and Technology Mohemmadia, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca 28806, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3351-2195","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ouafaa","family":"Aniq Filali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Health, Environment and Biotechnology, Team of Physiopathology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20100, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"810","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2018.08.015","article-title":"Male Infertility as a Window to Health","volume":"110","author":"Choy","year":"2018","journal-title":"Fertil. 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