title: A flow cytometric study on the effect of low dose cyclic prednisolone treatment on sperm-bound antibody levels.
abstract: Using flow cytometry the changes in the proportion of spermatozoa positive for antisperm antibody, and for levels of sperm-bound immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA antibody and some other semen parameters were monitored during low dose cyclic prednisolone treatment to 11 male patients. Patients were given prednisolone 20 mg/day for the first 10 days of the partner's menstrual cycle and then 5 mg on days 11 and 12. The treatment was repeated for three cycles and the sperm parameters measured after the first cycle, third cycle and in four cases also 1 and 3 months after cessation of treatment. A clear reduction of sperm-bound IgG antibody levels was seen in 3/11 (27%) patients, while only IgA was reduced in 2/11 (18%) patients. Only minor changes in sperm-bound antibody levels were shown in 63% (7/11) of patients, and in one patient the levels of sperm antibody even increased. Thus, corticosteroid treatment did not reduce sperm-bound antibodies in the majority of cases. In those cases in which the levels of sperm antibody declined, the decrease in sperm-bound antibodies was noticeable even after one cycle of prednisolone treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Clinical Chemistry, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saarikoski
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Penttilä
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013073:Sperm Agglutination / Q000187:drug effects; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000187:drug effects; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011239:Prednisolone