[HLA system and disorders of spermatogenesis]

Concerning the question of associations between HLA-antigens and idiopathic disturbancies of the spermatogenesis the HLA-ABC and DR-antigens were determined in 65 patients. All patients had less than 5 mio/ml spermatozoa in at least two semen samples. Significantly higher frequencies of certain HLA antigens were not found within the group of patients, when compared with unrelated healthy control individuals. Suggestions from other authors, that a part of idiopathic spermatogenetic disorders are associated with HLA-antigens, are not confirmed by our results. One family in which three brothers suffered from azoospermia was also HLA-typed. None of the four parental haplotypes was shared by all of the three brothers.