Effect of repeated washing on sperm-bound immunoglobulin G

The effect of sperm washing on the stability of sperm-bound immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody derived from plasma from four patients and also IgG bound in vivo on the spermatozoa of four other men was quantitatively evaluated. In the first series of experiments, human spermatozoa were incubated with an IgG antibody-containing plasma and subjected to 18 cycles of sperm washing. In the second set of experiments, spermatozoa from men positive for sperm-bound IgG were subjected to four cycles of sperm washing. The amount of residual antibody bound to a constant number of spermatozoa was quantitated by a radiolabeled antiglobulin assay during and following the washing procedures. There was no significant loss of sperm-bound antibody due to the washing procedures. The results of these studies undermine the utility of sperm washing as an effective treatment of antibody-mediated infertility in men.