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Expression of gp20, a human sperm antigen of epididymal origin, is reduced in spermatozoa from subfertile men
Author(s) -
Giuliani V.,
Pandolfi C.,
Santucci R.,
Pelliccione F.,
Macerola B.,
Focarelli R.,
Rosati F.,
Della Giovampaola C.,
Francavilla F.,
Francavilla S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.20166
Subject(s) - capacitation , biology , sperm , andrology , antigen , epididymis , human fertilization , immunostaining , immunology , anatomy , immunohistochemistry , genetics , medicine
gp20, a sialylglycoprotein of human sperm homologous to CD52, is present everywhere on the surface of the freshly ejaculated sperm but is prevalently localized in the equatorial region of the head of capacitated sperm. In the present study, we confirmed this feature on large scale and correlated equatorial exposure of the antigen to the presence of serum albumin (SA) in the capacitation medium. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the presence of the antigen and its equatorial exposure after capacitation and fertility, by comparing immunostaining for gp20 in the motile fraction of spermatozoa from fertile and subfertile men. A significantly higher percentage of nonimmunostained spermatozoa before capacitation (38.5% ± 23 vs. 12% ± 7, P < 0.0001) and a lower increase in the percentage of sperm with equatorial localization after capacitation (19.3% ± 25 vs. 34.6% ± 22, P = 0.039) were observed in subfertile men (n = 60) compared to fertile men (n = 15). In the whole study group, a positive correlation was also found between the percentage of spermatozoa exhibiting equatorial localization in capacitated samples and normal head forms (R = 0.50; P < 0.0001). Mol. Reprod. Dev. 69: 235–240, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.