Proteomics is a research area that has developed rapidly in the last decade. It studies the large-scale characterization of the full
protein components of a cell, a tissue, or a
biological fluid. In the last decade, clinical proteomics has developed new technology and bioinformatics useful in identifying molecular markers of pathology; the next decade might be the era of proteomics. Seminal plasma (SP) represents a good sample for proteomic analysis in the evaluation of male fertility/
infertility. SP is an acellular fluid conglomerate, comprised of contributions from the epididymis and accessory sexual glands. Human SP contains many
proteins that are important to the successful fertilization of the oocyte by the spermatozoa. Proteomic studies have identified numerous seminal-specific
proteins, and recent reports have provided a further understanding of their function with respect to male fertility. Upon further validation, these
proteins may be useful in the clinical distinction between fertility and
infertility. This article reviews the proteomic methods, such as one dimensional
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-PAGE), two-dimensional
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), and mass spectrometry (MS), employed to detect human SP markers involved in fertility and
infertility. As such, proteomic studies will help the development of new techniques to identify novel
biomarkers for a better clinical diagnosis and treatment of
male infertility.