title: Prolidase enzyme activity in varicose venous walls related to sperm count in patients with varicocele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate peripheral, seminal and varicose venous wall prolidase enzyme activities and their relationships between sperm parameters in patients with varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prolidase enzyme activities were determined in blood, seminal fluid and varicose vein walls in patients with grade 3 varicocele. Sperm parameters were also measured and the relationships between prolidase enzyme and sperm parameters were assessed by statistical correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant and negative correlation between sperm counts and varicose venous wall prolidase enzyme activities (r = -0.618, p < 0.001) and a positive significant correlation between sperm counts and seminal fluid prolidase enzyme activities (r = 0.676, p < 0.001). None of the parameters were correlated with sperm motility indices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Varicose venous wall prolidase enzyme activity could be an important factor in progression of azoospermia and infertility in patients with varicocele.
authors.affiliation: GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Uskudar, Istanbul, Turkey. ozcanmd@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozcan
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malkoc
authors.forename: Alpaslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cosar
authors.forename: Osman Metin
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Ipcioglu
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gultepe
authors.forename: Tuba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muftuoglu
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hira
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ates
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology; D004150:Dipeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000201:enzymology; D013076:Sperm Count; D014646:Varicocele / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000201:enzymology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004150:Dipeptidases; C022449:proline dipeptidase