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Analysis of human sperm membrane antigens reacting with sera from antisperm antibody positive and negative patients by Western blotting
Author(s) -
Beer P. M.,
Windt M. L.,
Bouic P. J. D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0272.1993.tb02699.x
Subject(s) - antigen , sperm , antibody , blot , infertility , andrology , chemistry , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , endocrinology , biology , biochemistry , pregnancy , genetics , gene
Summary. Immunological infertility is thought to be caused by the binding of antibodies to ‘fertility‐related’ antigen(s) on the sperm membrane. We compared antibody profiles in sera from 20 ASA (+) and ASA (‐) men, using a sperm membrane extract as an antigen. Antigens were separated by SDS‐PAGE under reducing conditions. The patients were classed as ASA (+) by the MAR (> 50%), d‐IBT (> 20%) and TAT (> 1:64). The results showed that immunoreactive bands in both the ASA (+) and ASA (‐) groups were heterogenous and included bands covering the whole molecular weight range. Statistical analysis showed significantly more patients in the ASA (+) group having immunoreactive bands at molecular weights of 32 Kd ( P > = 0.006) and 79 Kd ( P > = 0.02) when compared to the ASA (‐) group. In the ASA (‐) group significantly more patients had reactive bands at 81 Kd ( P > = 0.01) when compared to the ASA (+) group. The 32 Kd antigen reacted only with sera from ASA (+) patients. We conclude that differences exist between the ASA (+) and ASA (‐) groups when this extraction method is used and that the isolation and purification of the 32 Kd protein may justify further investigation.