Immunological Screening of a Male Population with Infertile Marriages

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Abstract
Male partners (400) of infertile marriages who were not preselected were screened for the presence of anti-sperm antibodies. Serum and seminal plasma specimens from each patient were tested by the modified slide agglutination test (MSAT) and by the sperm-immobilization test. The IgG MAR [mixed antiglobulin reaction] test was performed on fresh ejaculates. Thirteen percent of patients showed sperm agglutinating activity in serum and 5.7% was found also in seminal plasma. Sperm-immobilizing activity was found in 4.7% of serum and in 1% of seminal plasma specimens; it was always associated with a high titer of sperm agglutinating activity. A highly significant linear correlation was found between the results of the MAR test and serum sperm-agglutinating activity; the presence of sperm-agglutinating activity in seminal plasma was always associated with MAR test positivity > 50%). The incidence of anti-sperm antibodies was not significantly different in patients with normo-, oligo- and azoospermia. The effectiveness and the easiness of both the MAR test and the MSAT do not justify the utilization of more complex and expensive techniques for the detection of anti-sperm antibodies.