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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Isolation of Sertoli Cells and Peritubular Cells from Rat Testes
Published on: February 8, 2016
Testicular tumors as a possible cause of antisperm autoimmune response
Donatella Paoli1, Barbara Gilio, Emanuela Piroli
1Department of Medical Pathophysiology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Objective:
To evaluate the presence of antisperm antibodies in testicular cancer patients 1 month after orchiectomy and before radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Design:
Clinical study.
Setting:
Department of andrology and seminology at a university hospital.
Patient(S):
One hundred ninety patients with testicular cancer.
Intervention(S):
Determination of semen parameters and autoimmune reaction evaluated on the sperm surface and in blood serum.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Autoimmune reaction on the sperm surface by the direct immunobead test (IBT), and in blood serum by the indirect IBT and the gelatin agglutination test (GAT), was evaluated 1 month after orchiectomy and before beginning chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Result(S):
Of the 190 patients, 11 (5.8%) were positive for antisperm antibody by GAT. On indirect IBT, 3 of the 11 GAT-positive patients were positive to IgG class only, with values of 22%, 24%, and 40%. Of the 11 GAT-positive patients, 4 showed no antibody bound to the sperm surface, and 3 were positive to IgG class only (28%, 21%, and 38%), with binding exclusively on the tail. Direct IBT could not be performed in the remaining 4 patients.
Conclusion(S):
Our data support the hypothesis that testicular cancer might not be a possible cause of antisperm autoimmunization and infertility.
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