Immunoinfertility: a case study with implications for immunocontraception.
A detailed case history was compiled on a couple who have had primary infertility for more than 20 years. The history and further laboratory investigations indicated that the infertility was caused by high-titre sperm antibodies in the female. The antibodies blocked sperm-zona binding and reacted with a prominent band at 65 kD in Western blots. Preliminary studies indicate that a subset of the patient's antibodies are specific for a unique protein sequence expressed by a cDNA testis library. This antigen may have potential for immunocontraceptive vaccine development.
Clarke
G N
GN
Royal Women's Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Liu
D Y
DY
Baker
H W
HW
D000906:Antibodies / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000276:immunology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
D000906:Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G