Clinical trial NCT04584593: Pilot Study to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Sperm
Official title: Pilot Study to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Sperm : a COVID-19 Study.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Covid19
Keywords: COVID19
SARS-CoV Infection
Semen
Lead sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-10-14
Enrollment: 50
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: This is a prospective study involving 50 patients, with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and a positive RNA detection. Men will give semen, saliva, urine and blood specimens following RT-PCR diagnosis and 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after. SARS-CoV-2 RNA will be detected in seminal plasma, native semen cells and processed spermatozoa.

The purpose of this study is to seek the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen, to determine its localization and infectiousness and to assess the efficiency of spermatozoa processing methods to obtain virus free spermatozoa.

Detailed description: Since the end of 2019, an epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 infections (COVID-19) began in China and is now a global pandemic affecting more than 3 millions of people. Droplets and close contact are the most common routes of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and aerosol transmission may be another route. Researchers have detected SARS-CoV-2 in samples of respiratory tract, saliva, stool, gastrointestinal tract, urine, tears and conjunctival secretions of COVID-19 patients.

Vertical transmission from mother to infant has been suspected, but not confirmed to date. Information about localization of SARS-CoV-2 in the genital tract or shedding is poorly documented and the results of these studies were discrepant. One of two studies have reported SARS-CoV-2 RNA in semen from six infected patients. However, there is no data on the duration of the seminal excretion of the virus, its viral load and infectiousness and on its localization in semen compartments (cells, seminal plasma, spermatozoa).

The purpose of this study is to seek the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen, to determine its localization and infectiousness and to assess the efficiency of spermatozoa processing methods to obtain virus free spermatozoa.

This is a prospective study involving 50 patients, with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and a positive RNA detection. Men will give semen, saliva, urine and blood specimens following RT-PCR diagnosis and 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after. SARS-CoV-2 RNA will be detected in seminal plasma, native semen cells and processed spermatozoa.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patient aged 18 to 50, male.
* Patient in acute phase of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and whose RT-PCR shows the viral genome in the nasopharyngeal or salivary sample or in any other sample.
* Patient who can come to the laboratory for samples
* Patient having given his free and informed consent and having signed the consent
* Patient affiliated to a social security scheme or equivalent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patient having previously consulted for male infertility or having previously carried out a semen examination which was abnormal (WHO standard)
* Patient with ejaculation disorder or unable to take a semen sample or with an abnormal semen volume (\<1.5 mL).
* Patient who would present serious clinical signs that would not allow him to travel to the investigating center to take samples.
* Patient under a protection regime for adults (including guardianship, curatorship or safeguard of justice.

Primary outcomes:
measure: SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA in patient sperm
timeFrame: 3 month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: SARS-CoV-2 location in patient sperm
timeFrame: 3 month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Toulouse
country: France
facility: University Hospital Toulouse
Study officials:
affiliation: University Hospital, Toulouse
name: Louis BUJAN, PR
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Guan WJ, Ni ZY, Hu Y, Liang WH, Ou CQ, He JX, Liu L, Shan H, Lei CL, Hui DSC, Du B, Li LJ, Zeng G, Yuen KY, Chen RC, Tang CL, Wang T, Chen PY, Xiang J, Li SY, Wang JL, Liang ZJ, Peng YX, Wei L, Liu Y, Hu YH, Peng P, Wang JM, Liu JY, Chen Z, Li G, Zheng ZJ, Qiu SQ, Luo J, Ye CJ, Zhu SY, Zhong NS; China Medical Treatment Expert Group for Covid-19. Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. N Engl J Med. 2020 Apr 30;382(18):1708-1720. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2002032. Epub 2020 Feb 28.
citation: Gallien S, Moro A, Lediguerher G, Catinot V, Paboeuf F, Bigault L, Berri M, Gauger PC, Pozzi N, Authie E, Rose N, Grasland B. Evidence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) shedding in semen from infected specific pathogen-free boars. Vet Res. 2018 Jan 24;49(1):7. doi: 10.1186/s13567-018-0505-2.
citation: Gallien S, Moro A, Lediguerher G, Catinot V, Paboeuf F, Bigault L, Gauger PC, Pozzi N, Berri M, Authie E, Rose N, Grasland B. Limited shedding of an S-InDel strain of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in semen and questions regarding the infectivity of the detected virus. Vet Microbiol. 2019 Jan;228:20-25. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2018.09.025. Epub 2018 Oct 11.
citation: Baud D, Greub G, Favre G, Gengler C, Jaton K, Dubruc E, Pomar L. Second-Trimester Miscarriage in a Pregnant Woman With SARS-CoV-2 Infection. JAMA. 2020 Jun 2;323(21):2198-2200. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.7233.