DNASE 1L3 AND DNASE II AS INDICATORS OF EJACULATE QUALITY

Abstract

The main method of assessing male reproductive function is sperm analysis, which is not always indicative of the cause of infertility. In the literature, a special role in the violation of male fertility is attributed to oxidative stress, the result of which the male germ cells are damaged. Damage of spermatozoa membranes is accompanied by the release of their DNA into the extracellular space, which is an inducer of local inflammatory reaction. In this case, the maintenance of seminal fluid homeostasis will depend on the efficiency of degradation of extracellular DNA. In human beings, this function is performed by DNAase enzymes localized in all tissues and body fluids. Their role in the process of fertilization and fragmentation of genetic material of spermatozoa is also noted. Excess or deficiency of DNAases can lead to the development of a wide range of diseases. The aim of the present study was to establish reference intervals for ejaculate DNAase 1L3 and DNAase II and to search for relationships between the concentration of nucleases and sperm analysis parameters. The seminal fluid of 82 conditionally healthy men aged 18-49 years examined at the Research Institute of Immunology of SUSMU was used as a material for the study. Exclusion criteria were the presence of inflammatory diseases of the urogenital tract and STIs. Sperm analysis was performed according to the WHO laboratory manual. STI examination was performed by real-time PCR. DNAase concentration in the ejaculate was determined by ELISA method. Descriptive statistics, construction of histograms and reference intervals were performed in the program “R”. For the first time we have determined the levels of DNase 1L3 and DNase II in seminal fluid and established reference intervals for them. Shifts in DNAase 1L3 and DNAase II concentrations can most likely be considered as indicators of possible pathologic conditions. In particular, an increased concentration of DNase 1L3 is an indicator of a pathological process associated with low sperm motility, and high levels of DNase II can be considered as an indicator of a local inflammatory reaction.

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