Serum Antisperm Antibodies in Fertile and Infertile Individuals

Background: Presence of antisperm antibodies (ASAs) in infertility and their adverse effects on fertility is a matter of controversy. The aims of this study were to determine the percentage of antibody positive sperms and rate of ASA positive sera in both fertile and infertile men and women, and to find the association between these antibodies and infertility. Methods: This study consisted of 29 fertile and 60 infertile men and women. The serum immunoglobulin (Ig) M, G, and A antisperm antibodies were evaluated after incubation of the sera with normal and high-quality fresh sperm from healthy donors. The percentage of spermatozoa positive for IgM, IgG, and IgA antibodies and the rate of antisperm antibody positive sera in fertile and infertile groups were measured by flow cytometry. Results: Mean percentage of antibody positive sperms in fertile and infertile groups showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). The rate of ASA positive sera in fertile and infertile individuals showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). There were no significant differences between the mean percentage of antibody positive sperms and the rate of ASA positive sera in fertile and infertile men and women (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Presence of ASAs in the serum may not be associated with infertility. Although antisperm antibodies may interfere with fertility, not all types of ASAs can associate with infertility. Current tests cannot differentiate the ASAs that interfere with infertility from those that do not, because the antigenic specificities of these ASAs are not known. The antigens of the infertility-related ASAs must be characterized to allow an accurate detection for individuals with ASAs. Iran J Med Sci 2008; 33(2): 88-93.