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Sperm Antibodies and Human Fertilization
Author(s) -
CLARKE GARY N.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology and microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 8755-8920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1988.tb00205.x
Subject(s) - human fertilization , sperm , zona pellucida , andrology , antibody , infertility , in vitro fertilisation , oocyte , biology , antigen , hamster , semen , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , pregnancy , genetics , embryo
Previous investigations using zona‐free hamster oocytes and salt‐stored human zonae pellucidae, and retrospective analysis of routine human in vitro fertilization (IVF) results have suggested that sperm antibodies can impair the fertilizing capacity of human spermatozoa. The results of our investigations using viable human oocytes confirm that human antispermatozoal antibodies can inhibit fertilization by human spermatozoa. In the future we plan to examine the mechanism of fertilization inhibition, including characterization of the sperm antigens involved. These studies may facilitate the development of iromunocontraceptive vaccines and of new treatments for immunological infertility.