A flow cytometric study on the effect of low dose cyclic prednisolone treatment on sperm-bound antibody levels

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Abstract
Using flow cytometry the changes in the proportion of spermatozoa positive for antisperm antibody, and for levels of sperm-bound immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA antibody and some other semen parameters were monitored during low dose cyclic prednisolone treatment to 11 male patients. Patients were given prednisolone 20 mg/day for the first 10 days of the partner's menstrual cycle and then 5 mg on days 11 and 12. The treatment was repeated for three cycles and the sperm parameters measured after the first cycle, third cycle and in four cases also 1 and 3 months after cessation of treatment. A clear reduction of sperm-bound IgG antibody levels was seen in 3/11 (27%) patients, while only IgA was reduced In 2/11 (18%) patients. Only minor changes in sperm-bound antibody levels were shown in 63% (7/11) of patients, and in one patient the levels of sperm antibody even increased. Thus, corticosteroid treatment did not reduce sperm-bound antibodies in the majority of cases. In those cases in which the levels of sperm antibody declined, the decrease in sperm-bound antibodies was noticeable even after one cycle of prednisolone treatment.

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