The increase in population growth rate warrants the development of additional contraceptive methods that are widely acceptable, free from side effects and less expensive. Immunocontraception, and in particular the targeting of antibodies to gamete-specific antigens implicated in sperm egg binding and fertilization, offers an attractive approach to control fertility. The development of a contrac...

The sera of 60 homosexual males were examined for the presence of antibodies to sperm using an indirect immunobead test (IBT). Six of 60 (10%) had antibodies of IgG isotype; in addition two of the six had antibodies of IgA isotype. The presence of antibodies was associated with the practice of unprotected receptive anal intercourse in the previous six months. Antibodies were not found in homose...

As part of our continuous effort to elucidate the biochemical and immunological nature of human sperm surface antigens, monoclonal antibodies to human spermatozoa were generated by improved hybridoma techniques. Following immunizations with the membrane fraction of human spermatozoa and cell fusions, hybrid cells were cultured in a semi-solid HAT-selection medium to maximize the number of monoc...

A radioimmunobinding method based on the blotting of renatured proteins from sodium dodecyl sulfate gels on to nitrocellulose filter papers was developed to analyze the sperm antigens that elicit serum anti-sperm antibodies. In rabbits, serum anti-sperm antibodies were raised by immunization with homologous epididymal spermatozoa mixed with complete Freund’s adjuvant. The raised antisera from e...

Antisperm antibodies were assessed in the serum samples of 73 men unable to ejaculate naturally and on the sperm cells of 13 of these men. None of the serum samples were found to be positive by sperm agglutination or sperm immobilization methods and antibodies were detected by an immunobead assay on the sperm cells of one of the 13 men examined.

Sperm-agglutinating antibodies were present in three (2-6%) of 117 fertile men and in 19 (33-9%) of 56 men who had been vasectomized. Twenty-four of the 56 vasectomized men had been studied before vasectomy; sperm-agglutinating antibodies were present in one (4-3%) compared with eight (33-3%) after vasectomy. No sperm-immobilizing antibodies were detected before vasectomy but were present in 10...

To elucidate the molecular nature of human sperm autoantigens, attempts were made to raise monoclonal antibodies against these antigens, by hybridoma techniques. After successive immunizations with the particulate fractions of human sperm extract in BALB/c mice, the spleen cells were fused with P3-X63-Ag8 myeloma cells. Several clones and their subclones were obtained and shown by microplate ra...

Active immune mechanism in the female reproductive tract may produce high levels of anti-seminal/sperm antibodies. Generated antibodies in the process of isoimmunization seem to be associated with female immune infertility. The aim of our study consists in the profiling of specific serum immunoglobulin classes and subclasses in infertile women. We focus on the distribution of serum seminal/sper...

Background: Although in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been found to bypass the inhibitory effect of high levels of antisperm antibodies on sperm motility, fertilization rates are reduced in approximately 40% of the attempts. In this study, we investigated the relationship between antisperm antibodies measured by the direct mixed agglutination reaction (MAR) and the fertilization rate in inferti...

OBJECTIVE:We evaluated the effectiveness of spermwashing using the discontinuous two-layer density gradient centrifugation method to remove antisperm antibodies attached to the sperm surface. METHOD: We prospectively enrolled sixty-six men with unexplained infertility who were seeking evaluation. Each patient delivered one semen specimen for the study. We determined antisperm antibody levels us...