Incidence of antisperm antibodies in males with systemic autoimmune diseases.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if systemic autoimmune diseases could be one of the risk factors for developing antisperm antibodies (ASA) in males.


METHODS
Antisperm antibodies in the sera of 70 males with systemic autoimmune diseases and 80 healthy controls were examined, by using the indirect-immunobead test (I-IBT). The sperm immobilization test (SIT) was also performed to detect sperm immobilizing antibodies to the patients who were positive in I-IBT.


RESULTS
Among 70 males with systemic autoimmune diseases, five were I-IBT positives, with incidence of 7.1%. However, no positives existed in 80 healthy males. Compared with the healthy controls, the incidence of ASA in males with systemic autoimmune diseases was significantly higher (P = 0.020). None of these five ASA-positive patients had sperm immobilizing antibodies.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of ASA in males with systemic autoimmune diseases was significantly higher than in the healthy controls. Systemic autoimmune diseases may be one of the risk factors for developing ASA in men.
Shiraishi
Yasuko
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
Shibahara
Hiroaki
H
Koriyama
Junko
J
Hirano
Yuki
Y
Okazaki
Hitoaki
H
Minota
Seiji
S
Suzuki
Mitsuaki
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000276:immunology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies