title: Relationship between antisperm antibodies and testicular histologic changes in humans after vasectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether or not there is an association between testicular histologic changes and antisperm antibodies in vasectomized men.
  
  
  METHODS
  Morphometry was performed on testicular biopsy specimens obtained from 19 vasectomized men and 21 fertile control subjects. Antisperm antibody status was determined on the serum of each patient and control subject using the indirect immunobead assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases in seminiferous tubule wall thickness (p < 0.001), focal interstitial fibrosis (p < 0.001), and percent composition of interstitium (p < 0.01) were observed in vasectomized men as compared with control subjects. Serum antisperm activity was present in 74 percent of the vasectomized men but none in the control subjects (p < 0.001). There was no association between testicular histologic changes and immune status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vasectomized men exhibit significant testicular histologic changes and increased autoimmune activity as compared with fertile control subjects. These histologic changes are not directly associated with antisperm antibody status, suggesting that some other pathophysiologic process must be responsible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jarow
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Goluboff
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*; D014659:Vasectomy
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins