OBJECTIVE To determine the validity of a rapid assay for antisperm antibodies in semen. DESIGN Prospective comparison of the results of standard and rapid antisperm antibody assays performed simultaneously. SETTING Tertiary care infertility center. PATIENT(S) Couples who presented for infertility evaluation. INTERVENTION(S) Semen analysis and measurement of antisperm antibodies in semen...

Female rabbits and mice were actively immunized against germ cell antigen (GA-1) of 63 kDa molecular mass isolated from rabbit sperm and testis. There was a significant (P less than 0.05) reduction of fertility in rabbits actively immunized with GA-1 as compared to controls, as seen by the percentage of 9-day implants/corpora lutea ratio (GA-1, 36.3%; controls, 85.7%). In mice, there was again ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relation between antisperm antibodies (ASA) and human fertility by reviewing the scientific literature of the last 45 years. METHODS We carried out a review of scientific literature about antisperm antibodies and infertility published in spanish or english in databases as Pubmed, Medline, Scielo, some books and another gray literature include information related to t...

AIM To investigate the possible functions of human sperm membrane protein (hSMP-1) in the process of fertilization. METHODS A 576-bp cDNA fragment of HSD-1 gene coding for the extracellular domain of hSMP-1 was cloned and expressed. The localization of this protein on human and mouse sperm was determined by indirect immunofluorescent staining by using anti-recombinant hSMP-1 (anti-rhSMP-1) an...

BACKGROUND Poor semen quality is one of the main causes of infertility. We have generated a set of monoclonal antibodies to human sperm and used them to investigate sperm quality. Some of these antibodies found differences in the expression of proteins between normal sperm and pathological sperm displaying severe defects. One of them was the Hs-14 antibody. The aim of this paper was to determin...

Background: Gonadotropin releasing hormone conjugate (GnRH-BSA) raises antibodies against biologically active gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) which affects body weight, gonadosomatic indices (GSI) and sperm quality in male mice. Objective: The objective of this experimental investigation is to develop an effective and reliable hormonal immunocontraceptive vaccine to suppress spermatogenes...

Mammalian fertilization involves various steps in which the participation of specific enzymes has been demonstrated by numerous studies. Acrosin is one of the most widely acrosomal protease in mammalian spermatozoa studied, including bovine; however, other proteases have also been described. A new trypsin-like serine protease named bovine serine protease of 120 kDa (BSp120) and its pre-cursor B...

Multiple phage-peptide constructs, where the peptides mimic sperm epitopes that bind to zona pellucida (ZP) proteins, were generated via selection from a phage display library using a novel approach. Selections were designed to allow for identification of ZP-binding phage clones with potential species-specific properties, an important feature for wildlife oral vaccines as the goal is to control...

The origin of natural anti-sperm antibodies in the serum of human virgin pre-pubertal girls and boys has been linked to the existence of inflammatory gastrointestinal entities; as a result of disease, cross reactive antibodies produced against gastrointestinal flora binds spermatozoa. Also, nonspecific bacterial vaccination (bacterial cell lysates), which are widely used to stop chronic childho...

Cellular prion protein (Prp(C)) is a glycoprotein usually associated with membranes via its glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The trans-conformational form of this protein (Prp(SC)) is the suggested agent responsible for transmissible neurodegenerative spongiform encephalopathies. This protein has been shown on sperm and in the reproductive fluids of males. Antibodies directed against ...