Effect of sperm antibodies on pregnancy outcome in a subfertile population

David, Sami S.

doi:10.1016/0002-9378(88)90776-4

Cited by 81 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Follow-up studies which compared negative and positive subjects for circulating ASA have produced conflicting results, since a significant association between antibody presence in the male and lower pregnancy rates was found in some studies (37,86,87) but not in others (39,88,89). A significant association was found when sperm bound antibodies were detected with direct tests (89,90). Furthermore, when the degree of the sperm autoimmunization was considered, a significant inverse correlation was found between eiher the titre of circulating ASA (37,91) or the percentage of sperm bound antibodies (92) and the incidence of pregnancies.…”

Section: Prognostic Studiesmentioning

confidence: 89%

Naturally-occurring antisperm antibodies in men: interference with fertility and implications for treatment

Francavilla¹

1999

Front Biosci

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Section: Prognostic Studiesmentioning

confidence: 89%

Naturally-occurring antisperm antibodies in men: interference with fertility and implications for treatment

Francavilla¹

1999

Front Biosci

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“…Although suggested by epidemiologic studies, the direct proof of ASAs as a cause of infertility is difficult to obtain, since prospective studies comparing pregnancies in patients with and without ASAs are limited [22][23][24]. In the retrospective studies, the degree of sperm autoimmunization showed a significant inverse correlation with the incidence of spontaneous pregnancies.…”

Section: Risk Factors Of Asas Formationmentioning

confidence: 93%

Role of the Immune System in Unexplained Male Infertility

Naz

Krause

2015

Unexplained Infertility

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The testis is an immunologically privileged organ. During puberty, when spermatogenesis starts, several "nonself" antigens develop on the later stages of germ cell formation (secondary pachytene stage onwards) that were not present when the immune system was developing a recognition of the "self" antigens in the fetal life. These "nonself" antigens/ sperm are sequestered from the immune attack by the development of the blood-testis barrier, which is primarily formed by tight Sertoli cell junctions. Besides the blood-testis barrier, there are additional mechanisms that contribute toward the uniquely protected environment of the testis [1]. When the blood-testis barrier is compromised by factors such as infection and/or inflammation, "nonself" antigens present on sperm could induce an autoimmune response. The mechanism involved in this may be equated to the "danger model" [2]. This model proposes that stressed and necrotic cells release "danger" signals such as heat shock proteins (HSP) that could trigger an autoimmune response. Indeed, HSP60 and HSP70 have been identified as autoantigens in the testis. Dendritic cells (DCs) are usually involved in the antigen presentation for activation of naive B and T cells. It is hypothesized that immature DCs, that are normally involved in maintaining immune privilege, mature under inflammatory pathological conditions and overcome the immune privilege/tolerance by the local activation and expansion of autoreactive T cells [1]. In the experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) of rats, the number of DCs in the testicular interstitium was found to increase during the course of EAO [3]. Several T cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+ αβ T cells and γδ T cells) and natural killer (NK) cells exist in normal testicular interstitium. These cells are involved in the regulation of immune response and immune modulation in the testis [3]. Testicular mast cells (MCs) are found adjacent to the seminiferous tubules in the testis. Activated MCs also coincide with elevated numbers of several types of immune cells in the testis of infertile men and may, therefore, also be involved in the pathogenesis of testicular inflammatory process [4].Sertoli cells are one of the most interesting cell types, playing a role both in reproduction and immunological reaction in the testis. They act as nutritive cells for the developing spermatogenetic cell lineage and are responsible for the formation of blood-testis barrier. There is also increasing evidence of their role in immunoregulatory function in the testis [5]. Sertoli cells produce a number of immunoregulatory mediators including TGF-β, which is thought to play a major role in immunosuppression. The communication between germ and Sertoli cells appears to involve the same mechanism(s) that overlap with the inflammatory processes in infectious diseases. This link may partly explain how the immunologic spermatogenic disruption may be caused by inflammation and infection.Finally, the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, which is an integral part of normal spermatogenesis,...

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“…ASA against sperm-derived protein CS-1 may play a role in postfertilization embryo defects [39]. Witkin and David demonstrated ASA on female sera and ejaculated sperm can cause unsuccessful conception and first trimester abortion [40]. In another study, Mandelbaum et al found significant levels of ASA in women with unexplained infertility who had undergone in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF/ET) than women who had only tubal infertility [41].…”

Section: Immune Disordersmentioning

confidence: 97%