PROCALCITONIN OF EYACULATE AS A MARKER OF DISORDERS OF SPERMATOGENESIS

The study of the protein composition of the ejaculate is devoted to a significantly smaller number of studies than the characterization of the cellular composition of sperm and the characterization of spermatozoa. Objective: to investigate the concentration of procalcitonin (PCT) in seminal plasma and serum in normal conditions and with oligozoospermia. Materials and methods. 88 men were examined (the main group - 40 men with oligozoostantenospermia, the comparison group - 48 men with a normal concentration of spermatozoa). Results and discussion. The concentration of PCT in seminal plasma in the examined patients (n = 88) was almost 10 times higher than its serum content and amounted to 0.349 ± 0.370 ng/ml versus 0.037 ± 0.027 ng/ml (p<0.000001). In patients with oligozoospermia the contents of the PC has exceeded the value of the comparison group (p = 0,0095). Serum PCT concentrations in blood serum did not differ between groups (p = 0.605). There were no statistically significant correlations between the level of PCT and other indicators of sperm (sperm concentration, their total content and volume of ejaculate). Summary. The content of PCT in seminal plasma does not depend on its level in blood serum. A higher content of PCT in the ejaculate compared to serum indicates its local production in the reproductive system. The increased procalcitonin level in seminal plasma may indicate decreased fertility of the ejaculate.

procalcitonin, male infertility, ejaculate, sperm, seminal plasma