Oxalate in human seminal plasma: possible significance and problems of oxalate determination

Objective: To determine the level of oxalate in seminal plasma and to correlate it with andrologic variables. Design: Laboratory examination. Setting: University-based department of andrology and department of clinical chemistry. Patient(s): One hundred male outpatients with infertility. Intervention(s): Isolated seminal plasma was stored for 120 days at -20 degrees C. Main Outcome Measure(s): Levels of oxalic acid in seminal plasma. Result(s): Oxalate levels in seminal plasma depend on the degradation of ascorbic acid to oxalic acid during storage. There was a linear nonenzymatic increase of oxalate with storage time. After 120 days of storage, the values were 133 +/- 50 mu mol/L (n = 100). Oxalic acid correlated significantly with the number of sperm head anomalies, the pH value, and the age of the donors and correlated negatively with the volume of ejaculate. Conclusion(s): Oxalic acid in seminal plasma may influence male fertility. (Fertil Steril(R) 2000;73:961-6. (C) 2000 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine).