• PMID: 9987692
• Gene Name: CKM
• Condition: Oligozospermia
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 109
• Population details: 109 randomly selected men in a university-based andrology laboratory
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: Creatine phosphokinase (CK)
• Other associated phenotypes: Oligozospermia

Sperm creatine kinase activity in normospermic and oligozospermic Hungarian men

Gergely A, Szöllösi J, Falkai G, Resch B, Kovacs L, Huszar G.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to measure sperm creatine phosphokinase (CK) activity, which reflects cytoplasmic retention in immature spermatozoa, in normospermic and oligozospermic Hungarian men. METHODS: A study of 109 randomly selected men in a university-based andrology laboratory was done. RESULTS: CK activity differed between normospermic and oligozospermic men (0.21 +/- 0.02 vs. 1.19 +/- 0.15 CK IU/10(8) sperm; n = 56 and n = 53; mean +/- standard error of the mean, respectively). There was an inverse correlation between sperm concentration and CK activity (r = -0.70; n = 109). However, 28% of men in the range with less than 10 million sperm/ml had normal sperm CK activity (below the mean + 2 standard deviations of the group with greater than 30 x 10(6) sperm/ml), whereas 36% of men in the group with 20-30 million sperm/ml and 5% in the group with greater than 30 million sperm/ml had elevated CK activities, indicating that the incidence of mature and immature spermatozoa in specimens is independent from the sperm concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The improved facility of sperm CK activity measurements, compared with sperm concentrations, in the assessment of sperm maturity was confirmed in a Hungarian population. The CK measurements aid the selection of the most efficient treatment for couples with male-factor or unexplained infertility, particularly when considering the options of intrauterine insemination, varicocelectomy followed by a waiting period, or ovulation workup/induction in wives of men who are oligozospermic but may have fertile sperm. FAU - Gergely, A AU - Gergely A AD - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University, Szeged, Hungary. FAU - Szöllösi, J AU - Szöllösi J FAU - Falkai, G AU - Falkai G FAU - Resch, B AU - Resch B FAU - Kovacs, L AU - Kovacs L