Steroid therapy for male infertility associated with antisperm antibodies. Results of a small randomized clinical trial.
Ten infertile men with significant titres of antisperm antibodies were entered into a randomized double-blind study to test the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy compared to a placebo. Prednisolone was given orally at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day for 9 days repeated over 3 cycles (their wives' menstrual cycles). This treatment had no significant effect, when compared to placebo, on fertility, serum antibody levels or semen characteristics. A slight decrease in the titre of seminal antibodies was, however, observed in patients receiving prednisolone. In individuals, there were important fluctuations in antibody levels which were independent of drug administration.
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012661:Semen / Q000187:drug effects; D013073:Sperm Agglutination; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011239:Prednisolone