title: Association of antisperm antibodies with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis.
abstract: Antisperm antibodies are significant in male factor infertility. The prevalence of antisperm antibodies in the infertile population is approximately 10 percent, and it is not cost-effective to test for these antibodies in every male partner of an infertile marriage. Earlier studies have demonstrated a higher prevalence of antisperm antibodies among men with a history of bacterial prostatitis or urethritis. Because of this established association, we measured the prevalence of serum antisperm antibodies, using a gel agglutination assay, in 28 men with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis and in age-matched control group of 69 men without a history of prostatitis. The prevalence was 25 percent (test subjects) and 7.2 percent (controls) (p less than 0.05). This finding indicates that nonbacterial prostatitis is a risk factor for the presence of serum antisperm antibodies and that subfertile men with a history of nonbacterial prostatitis should be tested for these antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jarow
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kirkland
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Assimos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000276:immunology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies