Immunologic aspects of leprosy with special reference to the circulating antispermatozoal antibodies

Macroscopic sperm agglutination in gelatin, sperm immobilization and tanned red cell hemagglutination tests could detect antispermatozoal antibodies respectively in 41%, 37%, and 23% sera of 35 leprosy patients, including 5 female cases. Interestingly, all of the above tests were positive in one serum from a female patient with borderline leprosy. Sperm antibodies were detected in both lepromatous and tuberculoid forms of leprosy by the above three technics and no significant difference was observed in their incidences among the two groups of patients. A three dimensional correlation was observed in 57% of 42 tests performed with 14 sera. Head-to head type of agglutination was the predominant feature of spermagglutination observed in the sera of these patients. In the control group, only 1 of 50 normal fertile male showed a positive spermagglutination test. Not one in this group showed positive sperm immobilization and tanned red cell hemagglutination tests. Antihuman globulin consumption test, presumably a very sensitive test, was also employed to demonstrate sperm-specific antibodies in the sera of these leprosy patients. These antibodies were adsorbed on the surface of the normal donor's spermatozoa when the latter were incubated with the patients sera. Antispermatozoal antibody could be demonstrated by this sensitive technic in the sera of two female patients. Moreover, antihuman globulin was consumed more intensely by the antispermatozoal antibodies present in the sera in the lepromatous than in the tuberculoid and borderline leprosy groups.