title: Assessment of antisperm antibodies in a sample of Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: Association of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with autoimmune phenomena and impaired semen parameters has been previously reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of HCV infection on the development of antisperm antibodies (ASAs) in HCV-positive males. The study was conducted on 30 HCV-infected individuals and 30 healthy control subjects. In both patients and control groups, liver enzymes and reproductive hormones were measured; computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) was performed; HCV-RNA in serum was measured and IgG and IgA ASAs in semen were determined. Free testosterone, sperm concentration, progressive and total motility were significantly lower in HCV patients than in the control group, whereas ASAs of the IgG and IgA classes were significantly higher in HCV patients. However, correlations between viral load and the examined semen parameters and ASAs were nonsignificant. In conclusion, HCV may be responsible for the increased ASAs detected in HCV patients in the present study, possibly providing another plausible explanation for the decreased sperm motility reported in HCV patients. These findings could be of value in fertility management of HCV patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elneily
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Eid
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abou-ElKhier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004534:Egypt; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: 
  HCV
  ; antisperm antibodies; sperm motility