title: Are antisperm antibodies indeed sperm-specific?
abstract: Antisperm antibodies (ASA) are present in a high percentage of infertile patients. The development of ASA in the male depends on the sequestration of antigens on germ cells, the testis being an immune privileged region. In this study, we investigated the specificity of ASA binding to sperm antigens by exposing a number of organ preparations to ASA. In none of the organ homogenates was a significant difference between the results of the Western blot with ASA-containing fluids, neither serum nor seminal plasma, and those without ASA observed. We conclude from our results that the ASA tested in our study obviously are sperm-specific. ASA as an autoimmune are thus restricted to spermatozoa. The antigens are suitable for trials in immune therapy, they may also serve for the development of antigen-specific diagnosis and treatment in infertility. They also indicate cognate antigens of possible immune contraceptive agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Andrology and Venerology, University Hospital, Philipp University, Deutschhausstrasse 9, D-35033 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dörr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bohring
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Krause
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies