Circulating antisperm antibodies and fertility prognosis: a prospective study

In a prospective study performed on 235 couples with long standinginfertility (median 5 years), circulating antisperm antibodies(ASA) were determined with both a standard tray-agglutinationtest (TAT) and a radloimmunoassay (RIA). Serum levels were correlatedwith results of sperm analysis (SA), postcoital testing (PCT)and in-vitro sperm-cervical mucus penetration testing (SCMIPT),performed with cervical mucus and spermatozoa of patients andin parallel with material of fertile donors. A simultaneousmicrobial screening included Chiamydia trachomatis, mycoplasmas,Herpes simplex virus, gonococci, other potentially pathogenicaerobic and anaerobic bacteria and yeasts. The pregnancy rate12 months after determination of ASA in the serum samples was27% (64/235). Between ASA-positive and -negative male and/orfemale patients (TAT as well as RIA), no significant differencewas found for any of the tested variables of SA, PCT, crossedSCMPT and colonization of genital secretions with microorganisms.Patients who later achieved pregnancy and those who did notdid not differ with regard to serum antibody status (TAT aswell as RIA). The findings suggest that the clinical significanceof circulating ASA determined with the currently available methodsis low. ASA in serum samples of infertile female andlor malepatients do not influence the fertility prognosis.