title: [Ejaculate and serum procalcitonin levels in healthy men and men with oligoasthenozoospermia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Seminal plasma composition reflects the activity of reproductive organs involved in the semen production.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study procalcitonin concentrations in serum and semen samples of healthy men and men with oligoasthenozoospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  s .The study included 88 men, who were scheduled for diagnostic evaluation to establish the cause of infertile marriages. The study group comprised 40 men with oligoasthenozoospermia, the comparison group included 48 men with normal sperm concentration. Laboratory testing of all participants revealed no abnormal findings in blood count, blood chemistry studies and urinalysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean seminal plasma procalcitonin level in the study subjects (n=87) was 0,349+/-0,370 ng/ml being about 10 times higher than its serum level, which was 0.037+/-0.027 ng/ml (p<0.000001). In the study group, seminal plasma PCT concentration was significantly greater than in the control group (p=0.0095), while the serum procalcitonin levels in all participants were almost identical (p=0.605). There were no statistically significant correlations between the procalcitonin levels and spermatozoa concentration, total count and ejaculate volume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that elevated levels of procalcitonin in seminal plasma can be regarded as an unfavorable prognostic factor, indicating the reduced ejaculate fertility. Further studies seem warranted, specifically considering the role and source of procalcitonin production in sperm.
authors.affiliation: E.A. Vagner Perm State Medical Academy of Minzdrav of Russia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Perm, Russia.
authors.forename: D Yu
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Sosnin
authors.affiliation: E.A. Vagner Perm State Medical Academy of Minzdrav of Russia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Perm, Russia.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Zubareva
authors.affiliation: E.A. Vagner Perm State Medical Academy of Minzdrav of Russia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Perm, Russia.
authors.forename: O Yu
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Nenasheva
authors.affiliation: Federal Research Center of Medical and Preventive Technologies for Public Health Risk Management, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Perm, Russia.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Krivtsov
authors.affiliation: E.A. Vagner Perm State Medical Academy of Minzdrav of Russia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Perm, Russia.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Karimova
authors.affiliation: Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Perm, Russia.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Pozdin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry*; D055101:Semen Analysis
chemical_list: D002116:Calcitonin
keywords: ejaculate; male infertility; procalcitonin; sperm