title: Antisperm antibodies and microorganisms in genital secretions--a clinically significant relationship?
abstract: In asymptomatic infertility patients, no significant relationship was found between the presence of antisperm antibodies (ASA) in serum and in semen samples (IgG and/or IgA ASA), differentiated with the mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR), and the microbial colonization of ejaculates covering a broad spectrum of microorganisms. Likewise, there was no significant association of ASA with microbial findings in patients' female partners, who also presented without symptoms of genital tract infection and were screened at the same time. Furthermore, ASA in semen (IgG and IgA) were not significantly related to several potential markers of subclinical male sexual gland infection or inflammation (leukocytes, PMN elastase, albumin, C3c) evaluated in aliquots of the same ejaculates used for immunological testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Women's Hospital Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eggert-Kruse
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rohr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Probst
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rusu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hund
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demirakca
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aufenanger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Runnebaum
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petzoldt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001323:Autoantibodies; D003176:Complement C3; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase