title: High levels of cathepsins B, L and S in human seminal plasma and their association with prostasomes.
abstract: Semen is a heterogenous and complex fluid with different functions, some of them well known, others still obscure. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of cathepsins B, S and L in human seminal plasma and their possible associations with other semen variables. Cathepsin B, L and S concentrations were measured in seminal plasma from 99 men utilising commercial ELISA kits. Seminal plasma cathepsin B was approximately 70 times higher, while the cathepsin L values were approximately 500 times higher and the cathepsin S values approximately 40 times higher in seminal plasma than in a group of serum samples. The study shows that seminal plasma contains high levels of cathepsins B, L and S. All three cathepsins were also bound to the surface of prostasomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inayat
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Ronquist
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ronquist
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Egberg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eliasson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carlsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D056668:Cathepsin L / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000201:enzymology*; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002403:Cathepsins; C533912:CTSB protein, human; D002401:Cathepsin B; C534281:CTSL protein, human; D056668:Cathepsin L; C028217:cathepsin S