title: Fertilization antigen-1 removes antisperm autoantibodies from spermatozoa of infertile men and results in increased rates of acrosome reaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if fertilization antigen (FA)-1 will remove autoantibodies from the surface of sperm cells of immunoinfertile men by immune adsorption and permit an increased acrosome reaction (AR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective analytic study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men from 18 infertile couples with autoantibodies present on their spermatozoa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sperm samples after processing were examined for antibody binding and AR before and after adsorption with control medium or FA-1.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sperm-bound antibody was assessed by the immunobead assay (immunoglobulin [Ig] A and IgG) and the AR by induction with ionophore A23187.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adsorption with FA-1 compared with control medium increased immunobead-free swimming sperm an average of 50% and 76% for IgA and IgG antisperm antibodies, respectively, with 78% and 100% of the 18 semen specimens increasing significantly. The AR rate increased an average of 10.3% compared with control medium and showed improvement in 78% of the sperm samples after FA-1 adsorption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FA-1 sperm antigen appears to significantly free sperm cells coated with autoantibodies in the semen of most infertile men examined. Reducing sperm-bound antibodies that inhibited the AR allowed the sperm cells to undergo successful AR induction by calcium ionophore.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor 48109-0272, USA. amenge@umich.edu
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Menge
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Christman
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ohl
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Naz
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000276:immunology*; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*