The use of a seminal vesicle specific protein (MHS-5 antigen) for diagnosis of agenesis of vas deferens and seminal vesicles in azoospermic men.

Abstract

Azoospermia is the cause of infertility in 8% of infertile male patients. Ten percent of those patients suffer from agenesis of the seminal vesicle (SV) and vas deferens (VD) agenesis. Currently, the diagnosis of SV and VD agenesis is based on low semen volume, low pH, and low fructose content of the seminal fluid of azoospermic men who have normal serum gonadotropins. In this study, an SV-specific sperm-coating antigen, the MHS-5 antigen, was used as a marker for the presence of SVs. The SV-specific protein (SVSP), MHS-5, was present in the control group but was not found in any of the seven samples from azoospermic men with proven agenesis of SV and VD. Another semen component, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), whose presence in the semen is not influenced by the SV and VD agenesis, was found in both the study and the control groups. Its presence ruled out the possibility of azoospermia due to ejaculatory duct obstruction. The absence of MHS-5 antigen in seminal fluid can be used as a tool for a reliable diagnosis of agenesis of SV and VD in azoospermic men.