Abstract
This chapter discusses testicular and ovarian autoimmune diseases. Experimental autoimmune diseases of the testis (autoimmune orchitis) and ovary (autoimmune oophoritis) develop in mice following immunization with the corresponding organ-specific antigen in adjuvant. The orchitogenic antigen has not been identified, whereas an oophoritogenic peptide has been characterized. Autoimmune diseases of the testis and the ovary are known causes of spontaneous infertility in domestic animals and are likely causes of human infertility. In testes of infertile men, granulomatous orchitis and testicular immune complexes are found that resemble changes in experimental autoimmune orchitis. The chapter describes murine autoimmune orchitis and oophoritis elicited by immunization with organ-specific antigens in adjuvant, followed by a description of models of autoimmune oophoritis that involve manipulating the normal immune system, including (1) neonatal thymectomy, (2) transfer of normal T-cell populations to athymic nu/nu mice, and (3) engraftment of fetal rat thymuses in the nu/nu mice.
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