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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Fluorimetric Techniques for the Assessment of Sperm Membranes
Published on: November 28, 2018
Influence of antisperm antibodies on the acrosome reaction as determined by flow cytometry
C Bohring1, J Skrzypek, W Krause
1Department of Andrology, Clinical Training Center of the European Academy of Andrology, Dermatology of the Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany. bohring@mailer.uni-marburg.de
Objective:
To evaluate the influence of antisperm antibodies on the acrosome reaction (AR).
Design:
Clinical study.
Setting:
University of Marburg, Department of Andrology, Clinical Training Center of the European Academy of Andrology.
Patient(S):
Spermatozoa from a pool of healthy donors were incubated with 30 seminal plasma samples from infertile men containing antisperm antibodies; they were compared to a control group of 10 samples without antisperm antibodies and five samples with buffer only.
Intervention(S):
The spontaneous acrosome reaction (SAR) and the induced acrosome reaction (IAR) by calcium ionophore A23187 were observed and determined by means of a flow cytometer. Flow cytometric double-staining estimates of acrosomal integrity were determined by using a monoclonal antibody (TUS 19), marked with a secondary fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled antibody. Cell viability was determined by counterstaining with propidium iodide (PI).
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Number of acrosome reacted spermatozoa.
Result(S):
The spermatozoa treated with antisperm antibodies showed significantly higher SAR and IAR responses than the control group.
Conclusion(S):
Some of the antisperm antibodies from individual patients are able to enhance the acrosome reaction in donor sperm, but none of them appeared to inhibit acrosome reaction.
