Possible association of infertility with sperm-specific abnormality of CD46.
Three infertile patients fulfilling normal or subnormal criteria on routine semen analysis showed abnormal sperm CD46 (membrane cofactor protein of complement) by SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting analysis using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The sperm CD46 isoform has been reported to be associated with sperm-egg interaction. These three patients expressed normal CD46 isoforms on their lymphocytes and granulocytes. Sperm-specific abnormalities in these proteins thus parallel male infertility, suggesting a new category of infertility, probably due to aberrations in the molecules related to sperm-egg interaction.
Kitamura
M
M
Department of Immunology, Center for Adult Diseases Osaka, Japan.
Matsumiya
K
K
Yamanaka
M
M
Takahara
S
S
Hara
T
T
Matsumoto
M
M
Namiki
M
M
Okuyama
A
A
Seya
T
T
D000177:Acrosome / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D015703:Antigens, CD; C497857:CD46 protein, human; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins