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We describe a simple radioimmunoassay of beta-microseminoprotein, one of the three most abundant secretory proteins of the prostate gland. The detection limit of the assay is 1 microgram/L, and its precision, expressed as the total coefficient of variation, is less than 10% for values between 10 and 150 micrograms/L. Using this assay, we found that beta-microseminoprotein immunoreactivity was present in sera from both sexes at about the same concentration. The protein detected had the same molecular size on gel chromatography as the protein isolated from seminal plasma, and dilution curves for the sera paralleled that for the pure protein. The findings suggest that beta-microseminoprotein is present in serum of healthy subjects of both sexes and that it originates in tissue other than the prostate gland. The range of the serum concentration was 0-10.6 micrograms/L (median 4.1) for 51 healthy adult women and 1.1-14.7 micrograms/L (median 6.2) for 35 healthy adult men not older than 40 years. In males with prostatic cancer the concentration in serum was highly variable and often greatly increased. The concentration of beta-microseminoprotein was correlated with that of creatinine in serum, suggesting that the protein is eliminated--at least partly--from the circulation by glomerular filtration. Little of the protein was present in the urine of women. In urine from men the concentration was high and variable, probably because of local contribution from the prostate gland to the urethral urine.

Fresh human seminal plasma was demonstrated to contain a basic microprotein with the same size, electrophoretic mobility, isoelectric point and immunochemical properties as isolated human gamma-trace. The concentration of gamma-trace in 24 normal seminal plasma samples was found to be (mean +/- SD): 51 +/- 8.1 mg/l which is 36 times higher than the normal human blood plasma concentration of gamma-trace.

A case of tumoral calcinosis causing acute carpal tunnel syndrome is reported. Tumoral calcinosis in the vicinity of the hand is discussed.