Objective biochemical method for assessment of sperm quality

摘要

A method of testing sperm quality including obtaining a sample of sperm to be tested; detecting and measuring the testis-specific HspA2 chaperone protein (or, the chaperone protein homologues to HspA2) in human and animal sperm; and determining a sperm quality parameter based upon the chaperone protein, wherein an increased amount of the chaperone protein species indicates a higher sperm quality. The chaperone protein is detected and measured either by binding one or more antibodies specific to the sperm chaperone protein to the sperm and measuring the antibody content or measuring ATP bound to the sperm chaperone protein. In the case of the latter method, the chaperone protein may be detected and measured by measuring ATP bound to the sperm chaperone protein, and such measuring is by chaperone protein-bound and CK-B generated ATP measurement, or by bioluminescence of the chaperone protein bound-ATP.