Phylogenetic Correlation between CMV, HHV-6, and EBV Infection of Unexplained Infertility Males and Females in Dyiala Province

Abstract

Back ground: A reproductive system disorder known as infertility is the inability to produce a clinical pregnancy after at least a year (12month)of unprotected sexual activity. Medical conditions, genetics factors, hormonal imbalance, and infectious agents could be the main causes. Viruses, as well as many other microorganisms, are able to interfere with the reproductive function and suspected to be involved in development to infertility; However, the viral infection such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and Herpes virus -6 A or B (HHV-6 ) may be defined as a main reason of infertility cases. This study aims to understand the possibility of relationship between the viral infection and unexplained infertility. The evolutionary relationships among viruses and their ancestors were investigated too. Materials and methods: Current study included 90 unexplained infertile cases in Diyala province \Iraq from November 2020 to April 2021. CMV, HHV-6, and EBV viruses were identified using multiplex real time PCR. SPSS version -26 and GraphPad Prism 3.06 were used for the statistical analysis, both of which were considered significant.

Results: In this study we observed 10 (40%) of males were infected by CMV (20±8 copy\reaction), while females were infected by 14(56%) with viral load (2±0.8 copy \reaction ). HHV-6 infection in males were 5(20%), viral load (14 ±8 copy\reaction) with high significant result (p<0.01)), No women in present study were infected with appearance significant between male and females (P≤0.01).On the other hand,the infection in males with EBV was distributed equally in both gender by 2(8%) with viral load (0.1±0.01), however, the differences was observed in the viral load only (1±0.7copy \reaction ). A number of herpes virus infection was detected in infertile males 17(37%) more than females 16(35%). The samples were screened to amplify UL122 gene for Human betaherpesvirus 5(CMV ) and showed about 99% sequences similarities with European origins. Furthermore, an amplifying tripartite terminase subunit 3 (TRM3) gene sequences of the Human betaherpesvirus -6(HHV-6) showed 100% sequences similarities with African and European sources. Finally, amplify the DNA pol B gene that codes for subunit UL15-like protein in the Human gammaherpesvirus 4(EBV) showed about 100% sequences similarities with an American strain of human gammaherpesvirus.