Autoimmunity, Inflammation and Male Infertility

Why immune health matters in male infertility

Male factors are involved in approximately 40–50% of infertile couples, either alone or alongside female factors. Yet a substantial proportion of male infertility remains unexplained, prompting growing interest in the potential contribution of immune dysfunction and chronic inflammation.

This narrative review, conducted by Monticciolo and colleagues and published in October 2026, examines evidence published mainly between 2010 and 2026 on autoimmunity, chronic inflammation and ‘inflammaging’ — the persistent low-grade inflammatory state associated with ageing — in male infertility. The authors emphasise an important distinction between clinically established associations and mechanisms that remain experimental or hypothesis-generating.