Seminal and testicular microbiome and male fertility: A systematic review

Microbiome is of upmost importance for the well-being of the human body. Based on culture and PCR methods, seminal flora has been pointed as a potential cause for some of the unexplained male infertility. This is a systematic review about the effect of seminal microbiota studied by Next Generation Sequencing techniques on sperm quality and male fertility, performed according to PRISMA statement. Nine articles were included. Results of different studies are diverse. It seems that microbiota may a play a role in seminal quality and further male fertility, but the way this effect is modulated is still to be unknown. Lactobacillus spp seemed to play a beneficial role in semen quality, but the role of the remaining bacteria is unclear. Due to the lack of research and the incongruence of the results so far, the effect of microbiota on seminal quality is still unclear.