Serum sperm agglutinating antibody formation in vasectomized men treated with dexamethasone

The effect of immunosuppression with dexamethasone on sperm antibody formation following vasectomy in men was determined. Vasectomized men were treated with dexamethasone (4 mg) tablets starting two days prior to vasectomy and each day thereafter for a total of eight days for a total dose of 30 mg. There was no significant difference in serum sperm agglutinating antibody, cholesterol, triglycerides, or lipoproteins between the dexamethasone and placebo groups. The finding that immunosuppression at the time of vasectomy did not inhibit sperm antibody formation in man was surprising because in a similar study with Cynomoglus monkeys treatment at the time of vasectomy with dexamethasone inhibited sperm antibody development. The difference between the two studies may be that in monkeys sperm antigen presentation comes at the time of vasectomy and therefore immunosuppression at this time can prevent an immune response, but in man sperm antigen presentation comes at some later time following vasectomy. This species difference in sperm antigen presentation following vasectomy in man compared to monkeys may affect subsequent atherosclerosis development and explain why no cardiovascular disease is found in man following vasectomy.