Relationship between local and systemic autoantibodies to sperm, and evaluation of immunobead test for sperm surface antibodies.
Immunobead test (IBT), mixed antiglobulin reaction test for IgG (IgG-MART) and tray agglutination test (TAT) were used to study sperm antibodies in semen and serum of 200 men in infertile partnerships. The value of the IBT was also assessed. Semen from 22 men had insufficient number of motile sperm and were unsuitable for IBT and IgG-MART. Twenty-four men (of 178 that had all tests done) had significant serum antibody titres; sperm surface IgG and IgA were detected by IBT in 23 of them. IgG-MART was also positive in all but 4 of these 23; these 4 had positive TAT in seminal plasma and serum, but the titres were never above 64. Semen from 3 men was found to have only IgA sperm antibodies; 2 of these 3 had negative serum TAT. All tests were negative in 30 fertile men used as controls. We conclude that IBT is a useful test and is more sensitive than IgG-MART at low antibody titres, local autoimmune response to sperm can occur without a systemic counterpart, IgA sperm antibodies can occur alone (i.e. without IgG) in semen.
D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell