Presence of antisperm antibodies in fertile and infertile persons.

Abstract

The sera of 70 infertile and 30 fertile couples were tested for the presence of sperm agglutinins with Kibrick's macroagglutination technique and Boyden's haemagglutination test. 15.7% of the couples studied showed the presence of sperm agglutinins (by Kibrick's method) of which 5.7% were from males and 10.0% were from females. By the haemagglutination test, 13% of the couples studied were found to possess sperm agglutinins, of which 3% were from males and 10% were from females. 30 fertile men and women studied for sperm agglutinins were found to be negative by both methods. It was also observed that these two tests detected different types of sperm agglutinins. The cervical mucus samples from 45 females (15 fertile and 30 infertile) were tested for sperm agglutinins with a mucus penetration test. 23.1, 16.5, and 57.4% of the samples from infertile females, showed 0-degree, 1-degree and 2-degree penetration respectively. In case of samples from fertile females, 6.6, 13.2 and 79.2% showed 0-degree, 1-degree and 2-degree penetration respectively. Addition of serum from infertile females to cervical mucus from the infertile female increased the 0-degree penetration percent cases to 50%, as compared with 23.1 when only cervical mucus was used. Addition of serum from fertile females, or horse serum or pure albumin or globulins did not increase the 0-degree penetration cases.