ADNEXAL GLAND SECRETION MARKERS IN UNEXPLAINED ASTHENOZOOSPERMIA

Prostatic acid phosphatase, prostate-specific antigen, and zinc as mar kers of prostate, and fructose as marker of seminal vesicles were inve stigated in the seminal plasma of 35 idiopathic asthenozoospermic and 20 normal subjects to evaluate their relationship with sperm motility. Total seminal plasma levels of the three prostatic markers and, to a lesser extent, total fructose levels were lower in asthenozoospermic p atients, and in all the pooled subjects, the same levels were directly correlated with the motility of ejaculated spermatozoa. When the leve ls of the biochemical markers were expressed as concentrations in semi nal plasma, only prostatic acid phosphatase levels remained lower in a sthenozoospermic patients and they maintained a direct correlation wit h sperm motility in all the pooled subjects. The PAP/Zn/Fr (representi ng the ratio between PAP concentration and free Zn available for sperm atozoan uptake) was lower in asthenozoospermic patients and it was als o directly related to sperm motility in all the pooled subjects. These data suggest that altered sperm motility is associated with a probabl e impairment of sex accessory gland function in subjects with idiopath ic asthenozoospermia, while prostatic acid phosphatase seems mainly re lated to sperm motility.