Quantification studies in human seminal plasma samples identify prolactin inducible protein as a plausible marker of azoospermia.
BACKGROUND
Prolactin inducible protein (PIP) is a ~17 kDa protein, which is known to play vital roles in immunoregulation, fertility, antimicrobial activity, apoptosis and tumour progression.


OBJECTIVE
This study reports quantification of PIP concentration in human seminal plasma (SP) samples.


METHODS
PIP was purified by immunoprecipitation and its concentration in human SP samples was quantified by ELISA method.


RESULTS
Average concentration of PIP in normozoospermia, oligozoospermia and azoospermia was 290.3 ± 71.5 µg/mL, 306.4 ± 71.2 µg/mL and 60.5 ± 23.6 µg/mL respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no significant variation in PIP levels in normozoospermia and oligozoospermia while its expression was down-regulated in azoospermia, indicating that PIP may be a plausible marker of azoospermia.
Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Anil Kumar
AK
Tomar
Balwinder Singh
BS
Sooch
Sarman
S
Singh
Savita
S
Yadav
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D055815:Young Adult
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C488892:PIP protein, human; D010446:Peptide Fragments