Incidence of Sperm Surface Autoantibodies and Relationship with Routine Semen Parameters and Sperm Kinematics

Antisperm antibodies (ASA) are associated with male subfertility. However, results on sperm surface autoantibodies are controversial, the relationship between ASA and semen parameters (WHO, 2010) is unknown, and data on ASA and sperm kinematics are scarce.

A retrospective study carried out in men undergoing routine semen analysis (WHO 2010), ASA evaluation (direct SpermMAR(™) (IgG) test), and computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA).

A 2.6% and a 5.9% incidence of ASA-positive cases were found (cut-off 50% and 10%, respectively; n = 7492). ASA-positive samples had lower (P < 0.0001) sperm concentration, count, motility, and hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test score. HOS results did not correlate with sperm vitality in normozoospermic samples with high ASA levels. In unselected samples, ASA-positive samples (cut-off 50%) showed decreased sperm kinematics (VSL, VAP, LIN, ALH, STR, BCF, WOB), but in normozoospermic samples, ASA-positive and ASA-negative subgroups had similar CASA results.

ASA evaluation is highly relevant in full semen assessment.