Significant Immunologic Factors in Male Infertility

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Abstract
A number of patients who suffer from involuntary infertility demonstrated sperm antibody in their serum, as detected by 2 different methods of sperm agglutination. These techniques are the Kibrick method (gelatin agglutination test) and the F-D method (tube-slide agglutination test). With the former technique, 9% of the men and 18% of the women from infertile couples had positive results while the latter technique revealed that 5% of the men and 15% of the women had positive results. Such cases are termed immunological infertility. Several cases of necrospermia also showed sperm antibody activity. In vasectomized men it was shown that 50-60% have sperm antibody during the 1st yr postoperatively. To develop new methods for treatment of infertility, immunosuppression by means of corticosteroid medication was applied. A 7 day regimen of 96 mg/day methylprednisolone was studied. A drastic decrease of antibody level could be seen in some cases and the wives became pregnant. There was approximately a 3% success rate in a group of 15 such couples.

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