The results of intermittent high dose steroid therapy for male infertility due to antisperm antibodies.
Forty-five males who had been infertile for 2 to 10 (average 5.3) years, with significantly positive antisperm antibody tests (serum spermagglutination titers more than 32) and demonstrably improved sperm penetration of cervical mucus, were treated with repeated 7-day courses of methylprednisolone (MP) 32 mg three times a day from days 21 to 28 (in a few cases days 1 to 7) of their wives' menstrual cycles. Antisperm antibody tests were repeated after treatment and related to the occurrence of pregnancy in the wife. Fourteen wives (31%) became pregnant in a cycle following treatment of the husband. The production of pregnancy was always associated with a marked drop in sperm immobilizing titer and usually with disappearance of antibodies from seminal plasma; both of these effects were sometimes observed without a significant change in serum spermagglutination titers. Three patients (6%) had transient severe side effects, and 14 (26%) have had mild side effects, out of 54 patients treated so far.
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011241:Prednisone; D008775:Methylprednisolone