Male antisperm antibodies: association with a modified sperm stress test and lipid peroxidation.
We previously reported a modified sperm stress test (MOST), low scores (< 0.39) in which were associated with sperm-related abnormal in vitro fertilization. Preliminary observations suggested that the presence of male sperm antibodies (ASA) could give low MOST scores. It was therefore decided to undertake a study to verify this possible association and also to ascertain if such a relationship was causal in nature. Six hundred and fifty semen samples from patients consulting for infertility were assessed for basic seminal characteristics, motion parameters (CASA), ASA and MOST. Thirty-nine samples (6%) were ASA-positive. Samples with and without ASA showed similar characteristics, except for percentage of normal forms and MOST scores (0.35 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.67 +/- 0.01, P < 0.001, for ASA-positive and -negative, respectively). There was a strong statistical association between presence of ASA and low MOST scores (P < 0.0001). One-hundred per cent of ASA-positive samples displayed low MOST scores. To verify the nature of this relationship, we incubated ASA-free spermatozoa with ASA-positive and -negative (control) sera. Despite an increase in the percentage of ASA-bearing spermatozoa in those aliquots incubated with ASA-positive serum, their original (pre-incubation) MOST scores remained unchanged. Furthermore, the rate of lipid peroxidation, indirectly reflected in MOST scores, was not different in the aliquots incubated with ASA. In conclusion, there seems to be a strong association between presence of ASA and low MOST values in semen samples of infertile patients; however, the relationship does not appear to be causal.
Calamera
J C
JC
Laboratorio de Estudios en Reproducción (LER), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Doncel
G F
GF
Brugo-Olmedo
S
S
Sayago
A
A
Acosta
A A
AA
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D001323:Autoantibodies