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Effect of washing on sperm surface autoantibodies
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Birmingham Maternity Hospital.
British Journal of Urology
|October 1, 1987
Summary
Immediate washing significantly reduces sperm surface IgG antibodies, unlike IgA. Sperm washing methods like centrifugation and swim-up are effective for removing these antibodies, aiding fertility treatments.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive immunology
- Spermatozoa research
Background:
- Antisperm antibodies can impair male fertility.
- Effective removal of these antibodies from sperm is crucial for assisted reproductive technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of immediate sperm washing in removing surface antibodies.
- To compare centrifugation and swim-up methods for antibody removal.
Main Methods:
- Washing of ejaculates with antisperm antibodies via centrifugation (Shulman's method) at 0-h and 2-h post-production.
- Swim-up migration method used as a comparison.
- Immunobead binding test to quantify surface-bound IgG and IgA antibodies.
Main Results:
- Immediate washing (0-h) significantly reduced sperm-bound IgG antibodies compared to 2-h washing (P < 0.001).
- No significant difference in IgA antibody levels was observed between 0-h and 2-h washing.
- Swim-up migration showed comparable results to centrifugation and selected for motile sperm.
Conclusions:
- Prompt sperm washing is effective in reducing IgG antisperm antibodies.
- Both centrifugation and swim-up are viable methods for antibody removal.
- Findings have implications for improving sperm preparation in fertility treatments.