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    Human seminal transferrin: correlation with seminal and hormonal parameters

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    Transferrin (TF) concentrations were assessed in semen from 10 fertile controls and 79 infertile patients by a radioimmunoassay method. A positive correlation between seminal TF concentration and sperm count was found in the whole sample of patients and within the control group. A statistically significant difference was found between azoospermic and severely oligospermic patients and all the others. No correlation was found with other seminal parameters or hormonal values

    Specific localization in the equatorial region of gp20, a 20kDa sialylglycoprotein of the capacitated human sperm acquired during epididymal transit and necessary to penetrate zona-free hamster eggs

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    In this study we set out to characterize gp20, a 20 kDa glycoprotein of the human sperm surface, first identified by us by radiolabelling the sialic acid residues of the sperm surface [R. Focarelli et al. (1995), Mol. Hum. Reprod., 2, 2755-2759). The protein was partially purified from pooled sperm samples of several healthy donors and used to raise a specific antiserum to study its localization in the reproductive system. When tested with freshly ejaculated spermatozoa, the anti-gp20 antibody intensely stained the head and midpiece. However, on capacitated spermatozoa the antigen was restricted to a sharp zone in the equatorial region. The antibody did not bind to differentiating germ cells but the antigen was present in epididymal epithelial cells and also in seminal plasma. Anti-gp20 exerted a blocking effect in a test for sperm penetration of zona-free hamster eggs, thus suggesting that gp20 is involved in the early stages of fertilization. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reaxys Database Information
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