Prevalence of circulating HL-A lymphocytotoxic antibodies in men after vasectomy

Thirty-two men undergoing vasectomy were studied for one year to determine presence of HL-A antibodies after surgery. Blood samples were taken prior to vasectomy and at three, six, nine, and 12 months following surgery. Twenty-six men showed no increase in antibody activity during the study when their sera were matched against a 25-member typed lymphocyte donor panel. Sera of two men showed a definite increase in positive reactions, six to 12 months after surgery. The sera of four men showed slight increases in reactivity between three and 12 months after vasectomy. The serum of one man showed a single positive reaction against his own lymphocytes three months after surgery, but no positive reactivity against the lymphocyte donor panel. These studies suggest that HL-A antibodies are not regularly formed as a result of standard vasectomy procedures, but that further long-term evaluation of vasectomized patients may be needed to make definite conclusions.