Immunological dysregulation associated with herpes virus DNA in the serum of infertile women

  • J. E. Mahmood University of Tunis El Manar
  • R. Bellagha University of Tunis El Manar
  • O. Bahri Aziza Othmana Hospital
  • W. Slama University of Tunis El Manar
  • S. Q. Mohammad Middle Technical University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15421/0226019
Keywords: Infertility, HSV, CMV, EBV, qPCR, IL-6, IL-10, cytokine ratio, viral load.

Abstract

Female infertility is a complex ailment, and the role of hidden viral infections could be more subtle but pivotal to achieving pregnancy. Herpes viruses: Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) are involved in the pathogenesis of reproductive failure, underlying the role of chronic inflammation and i m munomodulation in this context. This study aimed to determine the presence of HSV, CMV, and EBV DNA in infertile women and evaluate associated serum cytokine levels (IL-6 and IL-10) to explore potential immunological signatures of viral involvement in infertility. The study was a case-control study that was conducted on 96 infertile and 96 fertile women. High-sensitivity ELISA was used to measure the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in serum samples. qPCR was co n ducted in real time to detect viral DNA among the infertile participants. To determine relationships between viral load (Ct values), cyt o kines, infertility type, and age, statistical analysis was conducted with independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and Spearman correlation. qPCR showed the presence of CMV in 14.6% of the infertile women, HSV in 11.5%, and EBV in 8.3%. Women with the virus had small increases in cytokines (mean IL-6: 9.2 – 10.5 pg/ mL ; IL-10: 31.3 – 33.1 pg/ mL ) and a higher IL-6/IL-10 ratio (0.29 – 0.32), especially with EBV. There were significant inverse correlations between viral load and IL-6 in EBV-positive women (r = – 0.51, P = 0.029). Secondary infertility had lower Ct values that are indicative of an increased viral activity. There were no considerable relationships with age. The results indicate a slight yet statistically significant relationship between latent infection with the herpes virus, imbalance of cytokines, and infertility. The increased IL-6/IL-10 rates and increased viral loads (EBV-positive and secondary infertility cases) su g gest that chronic i m mune activation can be one of the factors in the disturbed reproductive outcomes. Molecular viral screening and immunological profiling should be integrated to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of unexplained infertility.

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Published
2026-02-26
How to Cite
Mahmood, J. E., Bellagha, R., Bahri, O., Slama, W., & Mohammad, S. Q. (2026). Immunological dysregulation associated with herpes virus DNA in the serum of infertile women. Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems, 17(1), e26019. https://doi.org/10.15421/0226019
Issue
Vol 17 No 1 (2026): Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems
Section
Статті

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