Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate seminal plasma levels of Biglycan, Cystatin-S, β-2 microglobulin and inflammasome proteins and to investigate their role in seminal toxicity in men with spinal cord injury (SCI). STUDY DESIGN: cross-sectional study. SETTING: Miami Project to Cure Paralysis - University of Miami / Miller School of Medicine and Federal University of Sao Paulo. PARTICIPANTS: Eight men with spinal cord injury and eight men without spinal cord injury (controls). INTERVENTION: none. Outcome measures: semen analysis as per WHO 2010 guidelines; seminal plasma ELISA for IL-1β, IL-18 and caspase-1; and Western blotting for Biglycan, β-2microglobulin and Cystatin-S proteins. RESULTS: Proteins from the inflammasome complex are elevated in men with SCI, as previously described. In addition, β-2-microgobulin, Cystatin-S and two different isoforms of Byglican are elevated in men with SCI. CONCLUSION: a different pathway to activate the inflammasome complex is present in men with spinal cord injury. This pathway can be a potential target for new interventions in the future.