title: Clinical significance of sperm antibodies in infertility.
abstract: Sperm antibody (AB) titers, determined by passive hemagglutination and cytotoxicity assays, were found to be elevated in 62 males and 46 females of 103 couples with primary infertility; 15 males and 12 females of 25 couples with secondary infertility; 10 males and 8 females of 18 couples with histories of repeated abortion; 21 males and 17 females of 25 couples in which the husband had a history of prostatitis; and 29 males and 17 females of 38 couples in which the husband had oligospermia. Of the couples in which one or both partners had elevated sperm AB titers, only 4 achieved pregnancy: 3 from the group with secondary infertility, all of which ended in spontaneous abortions, and 1 in which the husband was oligospermic. This suggests an etiologic role of sperm immunity in infertility. Immunosuppressive treatment of autoimmune males with prednisone (15 mg/day for 3 weeks to 6 months) resulted in significant decreases in AB titers. Pregnancies were achieved by 9 of 25 couples after treatment (36%). The observed increase in pregnancy rate in the prednisone-treated versus untreated groups of couples with elevated sperm AB titers was significant (P less than 0.02).
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003298:Coombs Test; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000276:immunology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D001323:Autoantibodies; D011241:Prednisone