A study of vascular endothelial growth factor in urine for the diagnosis of retrograde ejaculation

The detection rate of retrograde ejaculation (RE) by detecting sperm in urine sediment obtained after ejaculation (postorgasmic urine) is decreasing due to the increasing number of men with low or virtually no sperm counts in the ejaculate. The development of diagnostic methods for RE using seminal plasma components in urine is relevant. Objective. To evaluate the feasibility of using Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) concentration determination in postorgasmic urine for the diagnosis of retrograde ejaculation. Materials and Methods. Forty-three men were examined: those with RE (study group, n=19); men with physiological ejaculation and those who had not had sexual intercourse within the previous 2 days (comparison group, n=24). Morning urine (m), not related to coitus (43 samples), and post-orgasmic urine (86 samples) were collected: the first portion of urine was collected at the beginning of urination (10—12 ml) and the second portion of urine was collected at the end of urination (12—15 ml of urine). VEGF concentration in paired samples of blood serum and morning urine, as well as in post-orgasmic urine, was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a set of reagents VEGF-ELISA-BEST (A 8784) (Vector-Best LLC, Russia). Results. In the main group, differences were found when comparing the VEGF content in the three urine portions studied (p=0.0015). Pairwise comparison showed significant differences in concentrations in the first portion and in morning urine (pm-1=0.005); In the 2nd portion and in morning urine (pm-2=0.006). Differences (p=0.0073) were also found in the comparison group in the three urine portions tested. Statistically significant differences were found between the concentrations in the 1st portion and in morning urine (pm-1=0.0277); in the 1st and 2nd urine portions (p1-2=0.0145). The increased VEGF concentration in the 1st portion of postorgasmic urine compared to that in morning urine (pm-1=0.0277) can be explained by the presence of traces of ejaculate on the urethral mucosa, which subsequently enter the urine. Conclusion. Determining the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor in postorgasmic urine in men is valuable for diagnosing retrograde ejaculation.