Abstract
A total of 103 previously fertile and infertile men participated in this investigation to study the presence and significance of autoantibodies against spermatozoa in the blood of men with obstructed vas deferens. Blood samples from 50 azoospermic men with proven obstruction in the vas deferens were tested for the presence of sperm agglutinins. Autoantibodies against spermatozoa were detected in 13 of them. Another group of 25 cases of obstructive azoospermia in whom the obstruction was relieved successfully by vasoepididymostomy was also investigated. In 6 instances sperm agglutinins persisted in the blood for years after the obstruction was relieved and 3 of these men demonstrated normal fertility resulting in the birth of healthy babies. The 2 techniques for the detection of autoantibodies were the microscopic technique and the modified macroscopic technique of Kibrick Belding and Merril. The probable mechanism responsible for the production of sperm agglutinins was discussed. It was concluded that the presence of sperm agglutinins in the blood serum does not interfere with fertility.
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