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Semen sampling as a simple, noninvasive surrogate for prostate health screening
Gisela Lorente1, Panagiotis Ntostis1, Norman Maitland2
1Discovery and Translational Science Department, Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine
|June 28, 2021
Summary
Seminal plasma screening shows potential for noninvasive prostate health assessment. Specific microRNAs (miRNAs) in ejaculate are upregulated in prostate pathology, offering a new avenue for early detection.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Molecular Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Invasive prostate biopsies for cancer detection have high rates but can lead to unnecessary surgeries due to false positives from insensitive screening tests.
- Seminal plasma has been explored for prostate condition screening, but the impact of sterilization on its diagnostic potential remains unexamined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular and molecular profiles of semen samples from normal, vasectomized, and prostate pathology patients.
- To identify differentially expressed small RNAs in seminal plasma associated with vasectomy and prostate pathology.
Main Methods:
- Semen samples were processed using PureSperm cushions, followed by immunocytochemistry for prostatic epithelial cell markers (PSMA, NKX3.1, CD24, KRT18).
- RNA sequencing was employed to identify differentially expressed small RNAs, with specific transcripts confirmed by RT-qPCR.
Main Results:
- Prostatic luminal cells (PMSA+/KRT18+, CD24+/KRT18+, NKX3.1+/KRT18+) were identified in semen samples.
- Seminal plasma small RNAs were heterogeneous, dominated by tRNAs and miRNAs.
- Hsa-miR-143 and hsa-miR-199 were significantly upregulated in prostate pathology samples, not in vasectomized samples.
Conclusions:
- Selected small RNAs in ejaculate show promise for prostate health screening.
- Upregulated miRNAs in seminal plasma may serve as biomarkers for prostate pathology.
- This research supports the development of a simple, noninvasive test for monitoring prostate health.
