Jakob Albrethsen, Ph.D. from Department of Growth and Reproduction from University Hospital of Copenhagen in Rigshospitalet has published an article in Clin. Chem. Lab. Med. (2018 May 30) in collaboration with Frederiksen H, Andersson AM, Anand-Ivell R, Nordkap L, Bang AK, Jørgensen N and Juul A.
In their publication, they present a robust and sensitive method suitable for quantitation of serum insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) in large-scale clinical studies using LC-MS/MS instrumentation already available in modern hospital laboratories. The circulating level of the peptide hormone INSL3 is a marker of Leydig cell functionality and holds promise as a diagnostic marker in male subjects with andrological disorders and infertility. In addition, INSL3 is known to have anti-apoptotic effects on sperm and could be of interest as a therapeutic target in male fertility. In females, INSL3 is expressed by the Theca cells and is a possible marker for the polycystic ovarian syndrome and associated with female infertility. The presented method paves the way for future studies into the clinical role of serum INSL3.
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