Association of Sperm Antibodies With Other Autoantibodies in Infertile Men

PROBLEM: In many autoimmune diseases there is an increased incidence of other autoantibodies. However, the incidence of other autoantibodies in patients with seminal sperm antibodies is unknown. The most widely used tests to detect seminal and serum sperm antibodies are the mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) and the Tray agglutination test (TAT). METHOD: We therefore determined the incidence of antinuclear, antimitochondrial, thyroid peroxidase, and thyroglobulin antibodies, and rheumatoid factor in 147 patients investigated with MAR and 157 patients investigated with TAT. RESULTS: TAT positive patients had a significantly elevated incidence of antinuclear antibodies (χ² test, P < 0.005) and thyroglobulin antibodies (χ² test, P < 0.001). Thyroglobulin antibodies were increased in patients with MAR IgG > 40% and also significantly (χ² test, P < 0.05) increased in MAR IgA positive patients. Furthermore, thyroid peroxidase antibodies were only found in TAT positive patients. CONCLUSIONS: The consistently increased incidence of thyroid autoantibodies in infertile patients with sperm antibodies may indicate an increased risk for the development of autoimmune thyroid disease. This finding therefore suggests screening of patients with immunologic infertility for autoimmune thyroid disease and a further evaluation of the prognostic and pathophysiologic significance of thyroid autoantibodies in immunologic infertility.