Exploring the impact of seminal anti-PSA antibodies on semen parameters: a comparative study

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is important for semen liquefaction and sperm motility. Anti-PSA antibodies may lead to immune infertility.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of seminal anti-PSA antibodies on semen parameters in fertile and infertile men.

A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on 105 fertile men (≥21-50 years) having biological children (within last 2 years) with normal semen analysis as controls and 105 infertile men with abnormal semen analysis as cases. All semen samples were cryopreserved till 210 samples were collected, followed by estimation of anti-PSA antibodies using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.

Mean ± standard deviation (s.d.) age of 210 participants was 30.0 ± 4.65 years. Mean ± s.d. levels of seminal anti-PSA antibodies in infertile men were 27.82 ± 102.19 ng/mL and in fertile men -30.45 ± 49.49 ng/mL (P = 0.001). A significant negative correlation was observed between anti-PSA antibody levels and sperm concentration (P = 0.013), rapid progressive motility (P = 0.001), slow progressive motility (P = 0.006), progressive sperm motility (P = 0.001), and normal morphology (P = 0.001), and significant positive correlation was observed with immotile sperms (P = 0.001). The overall accuracy of anti-PSA antibody for differentiating infertile from fertile men was 63.33%.

Seminal anti-PSA antibodies were significantly correlated with semen parameters in fertile and infertile men with an accuracy of 63.33%. A negative correlation was observed between antibody levels and progressive sperm motility.

Seminal anti-PSA antibodies can be used as a biomarker for male infertility assessment.