title: Autoimmunity to spermatozoa, asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection and gamma delta T lymphocytes in seminal fluid from the male partners of couples with unexplained infertility.
abstract: The relationship between an undetected, asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection, the concentration of gamma delta and alpha b T cells in semen and sperm autoimmunity was examined in 48 male partners of couples with unexplained infertility. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to C. trachomatis were detected in seminal fluids from 14 (29.2%) of the men. Only four of these were positive for circulating anti-chlamydial IgA, suggesting that the stimulus for antibody production was within the genital tract. In contrast, four men were positive for anti-chlamydial IgG in their semen; all were also seropositive for anti-chlamydial IgG. T lymphocytes bearing the alpha beta and gamma delta antigen receptors were present in every semen sample. Men with seminal anti-chlamydial IgA, however, had significantly (P = 0.035) elevated semen gamma delta T cell concentrations (median 3100 cells/ml) than did men lacking this antibody (median 1400 cells/ml); concentrations of alpha beta T cells were comparable in both groups. Genital tract sperm autoimmunity, as shown by antibodies bound to motile ejaculated spermatozoa, was detected in 13 (27.1%) men. The presence of these antibodies was associated with elevated concentrations of both gamma delta (median 4200 versus 700 cells/ml) and alpha beta (median 5000 versus 850 cells/ml) T cells (P = 0.0002 and 0.0001 respectively). Men with antisperm antibodies only in their serum had seminal T cell concentrations comparable with men testing negative for antisperm antibodies. Anti-chlamydial IgA was identified in semen from four of 10 men with IgA bound to their spermatozoa and in none of the men with only spermatozoa-bound IgG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia de Organismos, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Munoz
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Witkin
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta