Effects of incubation time in serum and capacitation on spermatozoal reactivity with antisperm antibodies.
Sperm reside within the female reproductive tract before the occurrence of fertilization. During this time they undergo surface modifications associated with changes in their functional state. To study their antigenic expression, capacitated and acrosome-reacted sperm were incubated with sera that had previously been tested for antisperm antibodies against fresh washed sperm, as detected by indirect immunobead binding. Forty-eight percent of previously positive and 20% of previously negative sera reacted differently with sperm after an extended time (18 hours) of incubation in serum or after sperm capacitation. These results suggest that current techniques of antisperm antibodies detection be modified to include testing sera after prolonged incubation times with both capacitated as well as fresh sperm.
Fusi
F
F
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Science Center-State University of New York (SUNY), Stony Brook 11794-8091.
Bronson
R A
RA
D000177:Acrosome / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D037121:Plant Lectins; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D000906:Antibodies; D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; C036292:pea lectin