title: Circulating anti-follicle-stimulating hormone immunoglobulin A in women: a sperm-prone reaction of mucosal tolerance?
abstract: Antibodies against follicle-stimulating hormone (anti-FSH) are present in infertile female sera. Follicle-stimulating hormone as antigen is present in female sera and introduced to the genital tract mucosa as a constituent of semen. The female immune system is activated by semen constituents during insemination to induce mucosal tolerance. We found that circulating anti-FSH IgA correlated with IgA against sperm surface antigens in female patients undergoing IVF. Our results suggest that anti-FSH and anti-sperm IgA could share antigenic origin, being induced possibly by mucosal tolerance to semen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of General and Molecular Pathology, Centre of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. kadri.haller@ut.ee
authors.forename: Kadri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sikut
authors.forename: Helle
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karro
authors.forename: Raivo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uibo
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salumets
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human; D007074:Immunoglobulin G