Seminal clusterin gene expression associated with seminal variables in fertile and infertile men

Purpose: CLU is a disulfide linked, heterodimeric protein associated with the clearance of cellular debris and apoptosis. We assessed the association of seminal CLU gene expression with seminal variables in fertile and infertile men.

Materials and methods: A total of 124 men were divided into healthy, fertile men with normozoospermia, and men with asthenozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. History was obtained, and clinical examination and semen analysis were done. In semen we assessed sperm acrosin activity, sperm DNA fragmentation and seminal CLU gene expression.

Results: CLU RNA and CLU protein gene expression were significantly increased in semen samples of infertile men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia > asthenoteratozoospermia > asthenozoospermia compared with healthy, fertile controls. CLU gene expression significantly correlated negatively with sperm count, motility, acrosin activity index, linearity index and linear velocity, and significantly correlated positively with the percent of sperm abnormal forms and DNA fragmentation.

Conclusion: CLU gene expression was significantly increased in the semen samples of infertile men. It correlated negatively with sperm count, motility, acrosin activity, linearity index and linear velocity, and positively with the percent of sperm abnormal forms and DNA fragmentation.