[Study of transferrin concentration in the human seminal plasma]

Recently, the seminal plasma transferrin concentration has been reported to be a possible clinical marker of the Sertoli cell function. In the present study we measured the seminal plasma transferrin concentration in patients of male infertility by the method of radial immunodiffusion. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The seminal plasma transferrin concentration is significantly correlated to sperm density (p less than 0.001). However, no significant correlations were obtained to sperm motility, serum LH, FSH and testosterone levels. 2. The seminal plasma transferrin concentration in patients of ductal obstruction was 16.2 +/- 4.1 micrograms/ml, which was approximately 20% of pregnancy-proven men (77.5 +/- 49.0 micrograms/ml). This indicates that seminal plasma transferrin originates mainly from the testis. 3. The seminal plasma transferrin concentrations in oligozoospermic men associated with varicocele and in patients of spermatid arrest were low and their values were 22.1 +/- 7.5 micrograms/ml and 13.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. In these patients the involvement of Sertoli cell dysfunction was suggested. 4. Patients of idiopathic oligozoospermia were divided into two subgroups: patients with high seminal plasma transferrin concentrations (128.3 +/- 23.8 micrograms/ml) and those with low seminal plasma transferrin concentrations (29.8 +/- 0.9 micrograms/ml). The serum gonadotropins levels in the former group was at the same level as those of pregnancy-proven men and the levels of the latter group were significantly elevated. These observations suggest that the two groups thus divided belong to different categories of the disease.