Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
Meram Vocational School, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2021 Jan 27;42(3):273-278. doi: 10.1515/hmbci-2020-0083.
Infertility is defined as the absence of pregnancy within the reproductive period despite regular sexual intercourse. Methylarginines are formed as a result of methylation of arginine residues in proteins and formed in three forms as asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA), symmetrical dimethyl arginine (SDMA) and monomethylarginine (L-NMMA). So, here, we aimed to evaluate arginine and their derivatives levels in fertile and infertile individuals.
Present study were consist of 30 oligozoospermia patients (proven by spermiogram analysis) and 30 healthy individuals with normozoospermia group who were applied to the urology department. With blood samples taken from individuals, serum methylarginine and its derivatives levels were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Clinic data and demographic characteristics of individuals were also recorded at the same time.
The serum ADMA level (0.38 ± 0.07) of the oligozoospermia group was found to be significantly higher than the normozoospermia group (0.35 ± 0.05) (p=0.046). A positive correlation were observed between ADMA and SDMA (r=0.686, p=0.000), HArg and SDMA (r=0.611, p=0.001), citrulline and L-NMMA (r=0.595, p=0.001) in patients with oligosospermia. The increase in SDMA, arginine and HArg levels and a decrease in L-NMMA and citrulline levels were not significant as statistically. Also, the ADMA level was found to be high in individuals with low sperm concentration.
Consequently, serum ADMA levels of individuals with oligozoospermia were statistically significantly higher than those with normozoospermia. As proposal, determination of ADMA levels may be a potential biomarker parameter in terms of early diagnosis of fertility and infertility.
不孕是指在生殖期内尽管有规律的性行为，但仍未怀孕。精氨酸的甲基化产物作为蛋白质精氨酸残基甲基化的结果，以三种形式形成，即非对称二甲基精氨酸（ADMA）、对称二甲基精氨酸（SDMA）和单甲基精氨酸（L-NMMA）。因此，在这里，我们旨在评估生育能力正常和不孕个体的精氨酸及其衍生物水平。
本研究包括 30 名少精子症患者（通过精液分析证实）和 30 名具有正常精子症的健康个体，这些个体被收入泌尿科。从个体中采集血液样本，通过液相色谱-串联质谱（LC-MS/MS）分析血清甲基精氨酸及其衍生物水平。同时记录个体的临床数据和人口统计学特征。
少精子症组的血清 ADMA 水平（0.38±0.07）明显高于正常精子症组（0.35±0.05）（p=0.046）。在少精子症患者中，ADMA 与 SDMA（r=0.686，p=0.000）、HArg 与 SDMA（r=0.611，p=0.001）、瓜氨酸与 L-NMMA（r=0.595，p=0.001）之间存在正相关。SDMA、精氨酸和 HArg 水平的升高以及 L-NMMA 和瓜氨酸水平的降低在统计学上并不显著。此外，在精子浓度低的个体中，SDMA 水平较高。
因此，少精子症个体的血清 ADMA 水平明显高于正常精子症个体。因此，ADMA 水平的测定可能是评估生育能力和不孕的一个潜在的生物标志物参数。
