Proteome analysis of human follicular fluid.

We used proteomic approach to analyze the protein profile of human follicular fluid (HFF) obtained from 25 normo-ovulatory women undergoing assisted reproduction techniques due to a male infertility factor. In all HFF samples analyzed we found 695 common spots distributed in the 3 to 10 pH range and in the 10-200 kDa range. Only 625 of these spots were also present in the plasma. We used MALDI-TOF-MS analysis to unequivocally assign 183 HFF/plasma matched spots and 27 HFF/plasma unmatched spots. A large number of acute-phase proteins, including transferrin, ceruloplasmin, afamin, hemopexin, haptoglobin and plasma amyloid protein, were identified in HFF in relatively high concentration supporting the hypothesis that mammalian ovulation can be compared to an inflammatory event. We also identified several important antioxidant enzymes; i.e., catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione transferase, paraoxonase, heat shock protein 27 and protein disulfide isomerase. This indicates that during maturation the human follicle is well protected against toxic injury due to oxidative stress.