Role of CD147 in Sperm Motility and Fertilization Capacity in Infertile Males

Introduction: Infertility is defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Male infertility is a complex, often multifactorial pathological condition. Sperms undergo a series of processes to acquire their fertilizing capacity. These processes include the initiation and maintenance of motility, the induction of hyperactivation and capacitation during transit in the uterus and oviduct, and the acrosome reaction. Defects in any of these processes lead to subfertility or infertility. CD147 is a member of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily. CD147 is normally detected in the reproductive tract brain, eye, muscle, kidney, colon, and other glandular epithelial cells. CD147 plays central roles in sperm functions, such as sperm motility and acrosomal reaction.Aim: The current study aimed to investigate whether CD147 expression could be used as a reliable marker for the evaluation of sperm quality and male fertility.Patients and methods: This study was conducted as a case-control study on 90 male participants and involved three groups attending the outpatient clinic, andrology unit, dermatology, andrology & STDs department, Mansoura University Hospital for management of infertility. Assessments included detailed medical history, physical and genital examinations, semen analysis, level of CD147, acrosin activity index, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, and DNA fragmentation.Results: CD147 expression was significantly higher in the control group compared to asthenozoospermia and astheno-teratozoospermia, highlighting its potential role in male fertility.Conclusion: The findings of this study showed the essential role of CD147 in sperm motility, capacitation, and acrosin reaction. The significant correlations observed between CD147 levels and semen parameters suggested its potential as a biomarker for diagnosing male infertility. The antioxidant effect may be a possible mechanism influencing its action in sperm functions.