title: [Neutral alpha-glucosidase activity is correlated with the location of epididymal obstruction in azoospermia men].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the correlation of neutral alpha-glucosidase in seminal plasma with the location of epididymal obstruction in azoospermia men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We detected neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in the seminal plasma of 59 men with obstructive azoospermia followed by determining the location of epididymal obstruction by scrotal exploratory surgery. Then we analyzed the correlation between neutral alpha-glucosidase and the location of epididymal obstructive azoospermia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the total number of patients, there were 25 cases of bilateral cauda epididymal obstruction, 15 bilateral corpus, 12 bilateral caput, 4 unilateral caput-opposite cauda, and 3 unilateral corpus-opposite cauda. The neutral alpha-glucosidase levels in the seminal plasma of bilateral cauda, corpus and capus epididymal obstructions were (4.1 +/- 1.9), (13.8 +/- 4.4) and (46.8 +/- 19.3) mU per ejaculate, respectively, with statistically significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neutral alpha-glucosidase activity is significantly correlated with the location of epididymal obstruction in azoospermia men, which helps to locate epididymal obstruction, evaluate surgical prognosis and reduce the time of scrotal exploratory surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Hong-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ying-Lan
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Jiang-Gen
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000201:enzymology*; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000520:alpha-Glucosidases