Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Feb;89(2):134-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2013.09.016. Epub 2013 Nov 12.

Effect of lubricants and a vaginal spermicide gel on the detection of prostate specific antigen, a biomarker of semen exposure, using a quantitative (Abbott ARCHITECT) assay

Margaret C Snead  1 , Johan H Melendez  2 , Athena P Kourtis  3 , Dorothy M Chaney  2 , Teresa M Brown  3 , Carolyn M Black  3 , Christine K Mauck  4 , Jill L Schwartz  4 , Jonathan M Zenilman  2 , Denise J Jamieson  3 , Maurizio Macaluso  5 , Gustavo F Doncel  4
Affiliations

Effect of lubricants and a vaginal spermicide gel on the detection of prostate specific antigen, a biomarker of semen exposure, using a quantitative (Abbott ARCHITECT) assay

Margaret C Snead et al. Contraception. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: Little is known about the effects of commonly used lubricants on detection of biomarkers of semen exposure. We investigated the in vitro effect of Gynol®, K-Y Jelly®, Replens®, Astroglide®, Carbopol, and Silicorel on quantitative detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA).

Study design: A predetermined concentration of each of the gels was added to serially diluted semen samples. Additionally, serial dilutions of each of the gels were added to three different semen dilutions (high, medium, or low). The resulting samples were tested for PSA on the Abbott ARCHITECT System.

Results: When using the Abbott ARCHITECT system, the only products that inhibited PSA detection were Gynol® and Replens®. The inhibition caused by Gynol® was dose-dependent, but that of Replens was dose-independent. K-Y Jelly®-spiked samples had higher PSA values than controls.

Conclusions: Caution is warranted when using the Abbott quantitative assay for PSA detection as a biomarker of semen exposure in settings where Gynol®, Replens® or K-Y Jelly® might also have been used. Neither Astroglide® nor Silicorel inhibited PSA detection. Additional studies evaluating other vaginal products, including microbicides, and their effects on other assays, are needed. In vivo studies will be especially important to optimize PSA detection from clinical samples.

Implications: Researchers should consider the potential for specific lubricants or any vaginal products to affect the particular assay used for semen biomarker detection. The Abbott ARCHITECT's total PSA assay should not be used with the product Replens. Caution is warranted when using the assay in settings where Gynol or K-Y jelly may have been used.

Keywords: Lubricants; Prostate-specific antigen; Semen biomarkers; Spermicide; Vaginal products.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: For all authors none were declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Effect of K-Y, Gynol®, Replens® and Carbopol* on PSA detection. PSA concentrations in semen samples spiked with K-Y, Gynol, Replens and Carbopol.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effect of Astroglide® and Silicorel on PSA detection.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Dose-dependent inhibition of Gynol® on PSA detection.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Dose-independent inhibition of Replens® on PSA detection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Bahamondes L, Diaz J, Marchi NM, Castro S, Villarroel M, Macaluso M. Prostate-specific antigen in vaginal fluid after exposure to known amounts of semen and after condom use: comparison of self-collected and nurse collected samples. Hum Reprod. 2008;23(11):2444–51. - PubMed
    1. Mauck CK, Doncel GF. Biomarkers of semen in the vagina: applications in clinical trials of contraception and prevention of sexually transmitted pathogens including HIV. Contraception. 2007;75(6):407–19. - PubMed
    1. Schwartz JL, Ballagh SA, Creinin MD, Rountree RW, Kilbourne-Brook M, Mauck CK, et al. SILCS diaphragm: postcoital testing of a new single-size contraceptive device. Contraception. 2008;78(3):237–44. - PubMed
    1. Gallo MF, Steiner MJ, Hobbs MM, Warner L, Jamieson DJ, Macaluso M. Biological markers of semen exposure: tools for improving the assessment of sexual behavior in HIV/STI prevention research. AIDS & Behav. 2012
    1. Mauck CK, va der Straten A. Using objective markers to assess participant behavior in HIV prevention trials of vaginal microbicides. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2008;49(1):64–9. - PubMed