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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
Published on: April 21, 2022
An approach to pathogenesis of male infertility with anti-sperm antibodies
Objective:
To determine subsets and functional characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes in men with infertility associated with anti-sperm antibodies.
Subjects And Methods:
Blood from 28 infertile men with anti-sperm antibodies and 34 fertile control males were tested for the lymphocyte subsets by indirect immunofluorescence and also for lymphocyte transformation responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), ConA, and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Also studied were effects of seminal plasma on the lymphocyte transformation responses.
Results:
Percentages of CD3, -4, and -8 cells and lymphocyte blastogenic responses to PHA and ConA were significantly lowered in patients. Percentage of B-cells, CD4/CD8 ratio, and blastogenic response to PWM were increased. All seminal plasmas suppressed lymphocyte blastogenesis induced by PHA, PWM, and ConA, but the suppressive effect on PHA and PWM by patients' plasma was less than that of controls.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that number and function of T-lymphocytes, especially CD8 cells, are lessened and those of CD4 and B-cells enhanced in the infertile patients. These factors would be conducive to development of an immunologic response to sperm.
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