Laminin and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in seminal plasma from fertile and vasectomized men.

ABSTRACT

PIP: The aim was to examine the effect of the resection of the ductus deferens on the pattern of extracellular matrix components in seminal plasma. The components laminin and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) were determined in seminal plasma of 50 patients with vasectomy and of 50 age-matched fertile patients. Fifty ejaculates from normal fertile men and 50 ejaculates from patients with vasectomy were randomly selected from a pool of clinical specimens at the Kantonsspital Aarau, Switzerland. Age ranges were between 19 and 43 years. Laminin was measured with a competitive radio immunoassay using a rabbit antiserum against the pepsin-resistant fragment P1 of human laminin. PIIINP was measured with a new radioimmunoassay using monoclonal antibodies against the aminoterminal propeptide in a 2-stage sandwich assay. Laminin and PIIINP could be detected in all seminal plasma of the fertile group and the vasectomy group, respectively. The median concentration of laminin in seminal plasma was 1.98 kU per liter in the fertile group and 1.25 kU per liter in the vasectomy group. The median concentration of PIIINP in the seminal plasma of the fertile group was 0.59 kU per liter and 0/52 kU per liter in the vasectomy group. For laminin the concentration levels in the fertile and the vasectomy group were significantly different (P or= 10 -7). No significant differences were obtained for PIIINP (P 0.05). The concentration of laminin was very significantly (P 0.001) elevated in the fertile group as compared to the vasectomy group, whereas the concentration of PIIINP were not significantly different. In the combined groups, a weak correlation between laminin an PIIINP was observed (P 0.05). This correlation was even lower in the fertile group (P 0.05), whereas within the vasectomy group it was slightly higher. If results can be verified in larger groups of patients with aspermia caused by testicle disorders and by a block of the ductus deferens, the determination of laminin in seminal plasma might prove useful as an adjuvant diagnostic measure.