Fertilization antigen-1 removes antisperm autoantibodies from spermatozoa of infertile men and results in increased rates of acrosome reaction

Fertil Steril. 1999 Feb;71(2):256-60. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(98)00468-3.

Abstract

Objective: To determine if fertilization antigen (FA)-1 will remove autoantibodies from the surface of sperm cells of immunoinfertile men by immune adsorption and permit an increased acrosome reaction (AR).

Design: Prospective analytic study.

Setting: University medical center.

Patient(s): Men from 18 infertile couples with autoantibodies present on their spermatozoa.

Intervention(s): Sperm samples after processing were examined for antibody binding and AR before and after adsorption with control medium or FA-1.

Main outcome measure(s): Sperm-bound antibody was assessed by the immunobead assay (immunoglobulin [Ig] A and IgG) and the AR by induction with ionophore A23187.

Result(s): Adsorption with FA-1 compared with control medium increased immunobead-free swimming sperm an average of 50% and 76% for IgA and IgG antisperm antibodies, respectively, with 78% and 100% of the 18 semen specimens increasing significantly. The AR rate increased an average of 10.3% compared with control medium and showed improvement in 78% of the sperm samples after FA-1 adsorption.

Conclusion(s): The FA-1 sperm antigen appears to significantly free sperm cells coated with autoantibodies in the semen of most infertile men examined. Reducing sperm-bound antibodies that inhibited the AR allowed the sperm cells to undergo successful AR induction by calcium ionophore.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acrosome Reaction*
  • Antigen-Antibody Reactions*
  • Antigens / immunology*
  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Calcimycin / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunosorbent Techniques
  • Infertility, Male / immunology*
  • Ionophores / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Spermatozoa / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens
  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Ionophores
  • fertilization antigen
  • Calcimycin