Antisperm immunity in assisted reproduction.
Antisperm antibodies (ASA) can impair the fertilising capacity of human spermatozoa, acting negatively on sperm motility and cervical mucus penetration, and at the level of in vitro gamete interaction. Several methods attempt to improve the potentially deleterious effects of ASA-mediated infertility: by decreasing ASA production, by removing ASA already bound to sperm, artificial insemination (AIH) and fertilisation (IVF, ICSI). Only ICSI seems able to overcome the problem, with fertilisation and pregnancy rates of ASA-positive patients undergoing this technique in the same range as ASA-negative patients. As immunological infertility is relatively rare, literature in the field is quite scarce and more studies need to be conducted to confirm that embryo quality is not impaired.
The University Laboratory of Seminology and Immunology of Reproduction, Department of Physiopathology, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy. francesco.lombardo@uniroma1.it
Francesco
F
Lombardo
Loredana
L
Gandini
Andrea
A
Lenzi
Franco
F
Dondero
D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012098:Reproduction / Q000276:immunology; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies