Detection and potential function of anti-FSH antibodies in patients with spermatogenesis dysfunction / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the anti-FSH antibody using ELISA, and further probe into the role of anti-FSH in infertile patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The anti-FSH antibody was detected using ELISA in the serum of patients with spermatogenesis dysfunction, of infertile patients with normal sperm density and motility, and of normal fertile males.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of anti-FSH antibody in the patients with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia [22.4% (22/98)] was significantly higher than that in the normal fertile [4% (2/50)] (P < 0.05) and that in the infertile patients with normal sperm density and motility [6.7% (2/30)] (P < 0.05). The positive rate of anti-FSH antibody in the patients with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia was lower than that in the patients with azoospermia [54.5% (12/22)] (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the positive rate between the normal control and the sterile males with normal sperm density and motility.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The anti-FSH antibody may be an important factor to cause spermatogenesis dysfunction by combining FSH to form immune compound and depress the activation of FSH.</p>