Effects of seminal constituents in leucocyte migration tests on infertile couples

Abstract

Leucocyte migration tests were performed with cells from both partners of infertile couples in the presence of seminal constituents from the male partners. Leucocytes from fertile women were used as controls. Homogenized spermatozoa inhibited leucocyte migration in 36.1% of women and 20.7% of men from infertile couples and in 18.4% of control women. In all groups, occasional stimulation of leucocyte migration was observed (8.3%, 3.4% and 2.6% respectively). Although both types of changes in migration when considered together were statistically more frequent in the group of infertile women it was not possible to distinguish, on the basis of this test, between fertile and supposedly infertile individual women. It is suggested, however, that an inhibitory effect induced by spermatozoa on the men's own leucocytes may be of diagnostic significance. In contrast to spermatozoa, seminal plasma caused inhibition of leucocyte migration in the majority of cases — 88% of women and 71.9% of men from infertile couples and 77.8% of fertile women. Those patients whose semen lacked this inhibitory property are deserving of further study.