title: Acute epididymitis induces alterations in sperm protein composition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use a proteomic approach to evaluate possible postinflammatory alterations in the protein composition of motile sperm in patients 3 months after acute epididymitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University medical school research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients 3 months after acute unilateral epididymitis and 10 healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proteome analysis of sperm samples collected by swim-up from control and acute epididymitis patients analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and subsequent protein identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry; immunofluorescence staining for mitochondrial ATP synthase subunit β (ATP5B), α-tubulin (TUBA1A), and tubulin-β2c (TUBB4B) for validation purposes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proteome analysis identified 35 proteins in sperm from epididymitis patients that were down-regulated, irrespective of subcellular localization and biologic function. Furthermore, immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed ATP5B, TUBA1A, and TUBB4B were less abundantly expressed in epididymitis samples compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite normal semen parameters observed by conventional semen analysis in patients after epididymitis, significant changes to sperm protein composition were observed. These changes may be implicated as additional factors contributing to subfertility/infertility in men after episodes of epididymitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany. Electronic address: adrian.pilatz@chiru.med.uni-giessen.de.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilatz
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Guenter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lochnit
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology II, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Srikanth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karnati
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paradowska-Dogan
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Reproductive Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tali
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Protestant Hospital, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schultheiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schuppe
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology II, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eveline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baumgart-Vogt
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wagenlehner
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D004823:Epididymitis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025261:Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C506526:ATP5F1B protein, human; D011506:Proteins; C533522:TUBA1A protein, human; D014404:Tubulin; D025261:Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases
keywords: Epididymitis; male fertility; proteome analysis; semen quality