Clinical associations and mechanisms of action of antisperm antibodies (original) (raw)
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Evaluation of serum antisperm antibodies in infertility
The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India, 2011
If a couple fails to achieve pregnancy after 1 year of unprotected and regular intercourse, it is an indication for investigation. Overall factors responsible for infertility comprise 30-40% in the male, 40-55% in the female, and ∼10% in both partners. In ~10% cases the causes of infertility remain unexplained. Cervical factors of infertility were present in 5-10% of infertile couples 1. Abnormal cervix and its secretion are responsible for infertility in ~5-10% of women 2 .
Vaccines, 2019
Sperm of humans, non-human primates, and other mammalian subjects is considered to be antigenic. The effect of changes in autoimmunity on reproductive cells such as spermatozoa and oocytes play a critical but indistinct role in fertility. Antisperm antibodies (ASAs) are invariably present in both females and males. However, the degree of ASA occurrence may vary according to individual and gender. Although the extent of infertility due to ASAs alone is yet to be determined, it has been found in almost 9–12% of patients who are infertile due to different causes. Postcoital presence of spermatozoa in the reproductive tract of women is not a contributory factor in ASA generation. However, ASA generation may be induced by trauma to the vaginal mucosa, or by anal or oral sex resulting in the deposition of sperm inside the digestive tract. It is strongly believed that, in humans and other species, at least some antibodies may bind to sperm antigens, causing infertility. This form of infert...
Fertility and Sterility, 1991
Study Objective: To evaluate the extent to which human in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) alleviates immunological infertility. Design: Retrospective. Setting: In vitro fertilization program. Patients: Thirty-three patients with positive antisperm antibodies undergoing 50 cycles of IVF-ET in which maternal serum was replaced by 5 mg/mL of bovine serum albumin (BSA) comprised the study group. Seventy-one patients with tubal infertility served as controls. In 50 of these, medium was supplemented with 7.5% maternal serum, and 21 were assigned to BSA substitution. Results: Percentage of fertilization in the study group was significantly lower (41 ± 31; mean ± SD) than that of controls with maternal serum (77 ± 15) and BSA (76 ± 22). Early embryonic quality, as assessed by percentage of cleavage and morphological grading, was found to be inferior in patients with antisperm antibodies. The percentage of advanced embryos (~4 blastomeres) at the time of transfer was 42 ± 39 in the study group, compared with 65 ± 23 and 75 ± 35 for maternal serum and BSA controls, respectively. Percentage of morphologically favorable embryos (grades 1 and 2 in a 1 to 5 grading system) was 49 ± 31 in the study group, compared with 78 ± 35 and 74 ± 23 for the controls. Percentage of clinical pregnancy was somewhat lower in the study group (12.5%) than in controls with either maternal serum (18%) or BSA (19%). Conclusions: Antisperm antibodies may have an adverse effect on fertilization and early embryonic development. Female immunological infertility may not be completely alleviated by IVF-ET. Fertil Steril56:84, 1991
Antisperm Antibodies in Women with unexplained Infertility
Qatar medical journal, 2009
Unexplained infertility occurs in many couples of childbearing age, immune mechanisms have been postulated in this disorder for the last few decades. Circulating antibodies against spermatozoa present in serum and seminal plasma have been especially implicated. This autoimmunity against spermatozoa has been investigated in males, while the isoimmunity (in the females) has got low attention. Fifty women with unexplained infertility and twenty fertile women were involved in this case-control study. ELISA test was used to detect antisperm antibody (ASA) from cervical mucus (CM) and serum specimens of both groups of women. CM was collected at mid-cycle period and dissolved mechanically (not by bromeline). Thirty percent of infertile women have IgG-ASA in their serum and 20% have IgA-ASA in the CM, while 22% of fertile women have IgG-ASA in their serum and no fertile women have any titer of IgA-ASA in their CM specimens. Only CM-IgA-ASA of infertile women showed significant statistical correlation with cellular property of CMwhich was scored according to Insler score. It is concluded that ELISA test is more sensitive and specific than microagglutination tests for detection of serum and secreted ASA. Also, secretory IgA-ASA are more indicative and have potential role in immunological infertility as iso-immunity than IgG-ASA. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that immunological infertility should be considered as an important cause of infertility and have to gain a special interest by clinicians.
Human Reproduction
The clinical significance of antispermatozoal antibody (ASA) testing in serum samples with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) technique using a commercially available kit was evaluated in 95 randomly chosen couples under infertility investigation. Results were related to many other parameters of male and female fertility, e.g. outcome of sperm analysis, testing of sperm functional capacity including the crossed in-vitro sperm-cervical mucus penetration test (SCMPT), results of a microbial screening in genital secretions, testing for local IgG-and IgA-class sperm antibodies in semen by means of the mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) and the subsequent pregnancy rate in a prospective study. Results of ASA testing did not show any relationship with medical history and results of clinical examination, the semen quality including sperm function tests and seminal cultures, outcome of the crossed SCMPT, and local ASA. All patients with MAR (IgG or IgA) positive ejaculates were ELISA negative in serum samples. No significant difference with regard to circulating ASA (ELISA) was found in couples with and without a subsequent pregnancy. Furthermore there was no significant difference of antibody levels in subfertile female patients, virgins (n = 36), 'normal' pregnant women (n = 39) and prostitutes (n = 40). In summary, the results of this study clearly demonstrate that the use of this method for detection of antisperm antibodies during infertility investigation cannot be recommended.
The impact of antisperm antibodies on human male reproductive function: an update
Reproduction, 2021
Immune infertility occurs due to the presence of antisperm antibodies (ASA). This type of infertility has a relatively low prevalence (2.6–6.6% in infertile men), and its etiology, risk factors, targets, and consequences for male fertility are not completely understood. While it is largely accepted that abnormalities in the blood–testis barrier and/or blood–epididymal barrier are the main factors behind its etiology, and that sperm motility is the most frequently reported altered parameter, few are the well-defined risk factors and ASA targets only now started to be disclosed, with proteins involved in sperm–oocyte interaction rising as the most significant. The development of potential treatments is also limited, being the corticosteroids the more promising. Overall, there are still many knowledge gaps related to immune infertility. With this review, we aimed to gather all the information collected from studies developed in humans in the last decade. Despite the controversial resul...
A Review: Have we Identified the Risk Factors for the Formation of Antisperm Antibodies?
Andrology & Gynecology: Current Research, 2013
Spermatozoa were first demonstrated as immunogenic more than a century ago. Subsequent research has lead to the discovery of antisperm antibodies (ASA) and their effects on infertility. However, the precise etiology of the formation of ASA is yet to be worked out in spite of the large number of research conducted on it. During these investigations, many scientists have exposed the risk factors for the formation of ASA while others expressed the controversies. This article reviews the research that investigated the possible risk factors for the formation of ASA in human. A comprehensive, English language, recent literature was searched using Medline and print journals. Predisposing factors for the development of ASA in healthy males and females as well as in infertility were assessed. It was found that none of the research done so far strongly proves the association between ASA and any of the risk factors. However, this article compares and contrasts the available research data. The controversy over the causes for the development of ASA to some extent reflects the inadequacies of well-designed and case controlled studies and lack of exact cutoff points of the presence of ASA in samples in clinical trials.
Frequency of antisperm antibodies in infertile women
Journal of reproduction & infertility, 2011
Infertility is one of the common problems seen in couples of reproductive age. Presence of antisperm antibodies in semen and serum are amongst the causes of immunoinfertility. This study was performed to determine antisperm antibodies in cervicovaginal secretions and serum of infertile women and also measure serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM and IgA). The study consisted of 45 infertile women consulting the Kammal El-Sammrari Hospital for infertility from 2008 to 2009 and the control group consisted of 30 fertile women. Serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) were measured in the participants using single radial immune diffusion. Antisperm antibodies (ASAs) were detected in the serum of both infertile and control groups using indirect immune fluorescence test. ASAs were also detected in cervicovaginal secretion using direct sperm agglutination test in both infertile and control groups. Antisperm antibodies were found in the cervicovaginal secretions (62.2%) and se...