title: Differences in caspase-8 and -9 activity and sperm motility in infertile males of Li nationality in China.
abstract: This study's objectives are to assess the efficacy of detecting apoptotic caspase-3, -8, and -9 in human sperm and plasma using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and to compare these levels between fertile and infertile patient groups of Li nationality in China. This study offers a non-invasive, alternative strategy to analyzing sperm parameters in infertile males. Fifty-six infertile males were investigated; asthenospermia (n = 19), oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (n = 20), azoospermia (n = 17) compared with 20 healthy fertile controls. They were subjected to semen analysis by computer-assisted sperm assay (CASA). We found that caspase-3, -8, -9 existed in all specimens in both sperms and plasma. The level of caspase-3 and caspase-8 in plasma were both significantly higher than in sperm. Levels of caspase-8 and caspase-9 in sperm and plasma were significantly negatively correlated with sperm concentration, motility and A % (motility grade A). The level of caspase-8 in plasma was significantly negatively correlated with sperm concentration. However, only in healthy fertile controls sperm concentration was significantly negatively correlated with caspase-9 in sperm. Compared with the healthy fertile controls, only the OAT group exhibited significantly increased level of caspase-8 in sperm (P < 0.05). It is concluded that caspase-8 and caspase-9 in sperm and plasma are correlated with sperm motility, and can reflect the quality of sperm in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University 88 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, China ; Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College in Central South University 43 People's Blvd, HaiKou 570208, China.
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College in Central South University 43 People's Blvd, HaiKou 570208, China.
authors.forename: Qixing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Second people's Hospital of Hainan Province 24 Aimin Road, Wuzhishan 572200, China.
authors.forename: Zhouxin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: The Second people's Hospital of Hainan Province 24 Aimin Road, Wuzhishan 572200, China.
authors.forename: Danqin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University 88 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Li nationality; Sperm; apoptosis; caspase