linking severe genital herpes leading to infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and IVF failures

Objectives:  

Severe genital herpes may be the reason of infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and IVF failures.

Methods:  

103
women (mean age 30.8 ± 0.82) with severe genital herpes (mean
recurrence per year 7.5 ± 0.6) were included in study. We tested
cervical samples for cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alfa, IFN-gamma) and
serum samples for CD69+, CD25+ and HLA-DR+ during recurrence, remission
and after 8-month Valaciclovir treatment in the dose of 500 mg per day.
Control group was ten healthy women without genital herpes and HSV
antibodies G and M in serum.

Results:  

During herpes
recurrence, the local levels of TNF-alfa increased twice and 8 times as
much as compared to remission and the controls, IFN-gamma – 1.5 and 2.3
times, CD69+ – 1.4 and 3.3 times, CD25+ – 1.4 and 2.5 times, HLA-DR+ –
1.6 .and 2.5 times (p < 0.05). IL-10 decreased 4 and 3.3 times as
less. After Valaciclovir treatment, the cervical levels of TNF-alfa
decreased by 60%, CD69+ – 26%, HLA-DR+ – 23.6% (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:  

very
high levels of inflammatory markers in cervix and serum during severe
genital herpes confirm an important role of HSV in genital
inflammation, cervical and endometrial pathology, and allow to consider
genital herpes as an inflammatory process.