title: The incidence and influence upon fertility of antisperm antibodies in seminal fluid following vasectomy reversal.
abstract: Seminal plasma samples from men undergoing vasovasostomy were analysed for antisperm antibodies using the indirect immunobead test. A pre-operative assessment showed antisperm antibodies of either IgA or IgG class to be present in 9/27 (33.3%) men. A significant increase (P less than 0.05) in the post-operative incidence of the antibodies was seen in the men who achieved patency (27/45, 60%) but not in those men for whom no sperm were seen in the ejaculate (4/10, 40%). After follow-up for a minimum of 1 year, conception rates for couples in which the male partner had achieved patency were similar in the groups with no antibodies detected post-operatively (12/18, 66.7%) or with IgA alone (2/3, 66.7%), but was reduced significantly in the presence of IgG (1/9, 11.1%; P less than 0.05) or IgA + IgG (3/15, 20.0%; P less than 0.01).
authors.affiliation: PIVET Laboratory, Leederville, Perth, Western Australia.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Matson
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Junk
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Masters
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pryor
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yovich
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*; D014669:Vasovasostomy
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies