Antisperm antibodies and sperm motility: a study using timed exposure photomicrography

This study examined the effect of antisperm antibodies on sperm motility. Antisperm antibodies present in seminal plasmas with different sperm agglutinating titres were transferred passively to normal donor sperm, and the effects on movement characteristics (velocity of forward progression, amplitude of lateral head displacement, percentage progressive motility and percentage non-progressive motility) were analysed using timed exposure photomicrography. There was no significant association between sperm movement characteristics and the presence of titre of antisperm antibodies in seminal plasma. Furthermore, no differences were detected between those samples that possessed sperm agglutinating versus sperm immobilizing activity. These findings do not support the common belief that antisperm antibodies are a cause of poor sperm motility in semen.