An isoimmune response to human sperm clathrin in an infertile woman with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We have employed a proteomic approach to study the immune response to human sperm in an infertile female patient suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Human sperm antigenic extracts were resolved by means of two-dimensional electrophoresis and electroblotted onto nitrocellulose membranes. The membranes were incubated with serum from the SLE patient. Sperm antigens that were reactive to polyclonal antibodies were next visualized on X-ray film, using the enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL). Three spots corresponding to the positions of sperm immunoreactive antigens on a nitrocellulose membrane were localized in a silver stained gel and subjected to mass spectrometry. A database search of the sequences recognized by the analyzed SLE serum revealed its homology to the clathrin heavy chain (CHC). Further analysis revealed that anti-CHC antibody reacted with multiple sperm antigenic determinants, resolved by either one- or two-dimensional electrophoresis. When studied by immunofluorescence, we demonstrated anti-CHC antibody reactivity with the sperm tail tip (corresponding to the sperm agglutination pattern), also with the principal piece and with cytoplasmic droplets around the sperm midpiece. Live sperm clearly exhibited reactivity with the midpiece. This study demonstrates clathrin heavy chain on human sperm using serum of an infertile individual with a concomitant autoimmune disease.

Antisperm antibodies in prepubertal boys with cryptorchidism.

The presence of antisperm antibodies in male individuals before puberty is controversial due to the lack of finally differentiated male germ cells. It was questioned whether the pathologic conditions of the male gonad may influence antisperm antibody formation in individuals before puberty. Sera samples of 76 individuals and 10 healthy boys with testicular failure (mainly uni- or bilateral cryptorchidism) were examined by means of indirect immunobead-binding test (IDIBT). The presence of antisperm antibodies was found in 3.95% of the studied subjects. Antibodies recognizing antigenic determinants present on the surface of mature sperm cells may be produced before puberty in individuals suffering from cryptorchidism or the other gonadal disorders. Antisperm antibodies that did develop in a minority of the studied male population may be proof for individual predispositions to autoimmune reactions.

Immunoprecipitation of sperm and somatic antigens with antibodies from sera of sperm-sensitized and anti-sperm antibody-free individuals.

PROBLEM: Immune infertility may result from the presence of anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) in sera of sensitized individuals or in their genito-urinary millieu. According to some authors, sera of pre-pubertal boys with genital disorders may contain ASA, too. When identified and characterized, sperm antigenic components can be employed for diagnostic and/or for immunocontraceptive purposes. METHOD OF STUDY: Sperm auto- and isoimmune reactive surface antigens were identified by means of immunoprecipitation. Comparative immunoprecipitations of somatic antigens by using antibodies, contained in polyclonal sera of fertile and (immunologically) infertile adults as well as pre-pubertal boys with gonadal failures were performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Antibodies contained in sera of the all studied populations reacted with a number of sperm as well as somatic antigens. However, we distinguished a panel of antigens localized exclusively on the surface of sperm cells, reacting with ASA positive sera (in the range of molecular weight between 15 and 115 kDa), some of them seem to present novel entities as can be judged by the molecular weight.

Identification of sperm immunoreactive antigens for immunocontraceptive purposes: a review.

Antisperm antibodies (ASA) may be a reason of infertility in some individuals. They may affect pre- as well as post-fertilization stages of the reproductive process. There is ongoing progress in the identification of sperm antigens related to fertilization. The employed methods for this purpose include recombinant DNA technology and the most advanced proteomic analysis. This paper enlists the different approaches undertaken in order to identify and characterize the immunoreactive sperm antigens. We have mainly focused on those, which have been already studied in regard of their immunocontraceptive potential, although it has been impossible to include all published data concerning the topic in a single article. Few novel sperm auto- and isoantigens, discovered recently, have also been reviewed even if their role in fertilization has not been yet established.

Molecular targets for immunocontraception.

Effective contraception is necessary in countries where limiting population growth has become a public policy imperative. The main antigenic targets for contraceptive vaccine development can be listed as following: 1) sperm antigens, 2) zona pellucida antigens, 3) gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, 4) chorionic gonadotrophin, 5) other protein/peptide hormones (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone), and 6) gonadal steroid hormones. New techniques, such as the application of monoclonal antibodies, hybridoma and DNA recombinant technologies, have become useful in search for contraceptive candidates. Current state of development of contraceptive vaccines based on specific antigenic targets and trials in animal/human models are presented in this article.

The frequency of antisperm antibodies in infertile couples--a Polish pilot study.

BACKGROUND: One of every four Polish married couples is infertile. Numerous factors may contribute to the lack of conception in these couples, one of which may be the presence of antisperm antibodies in semen, cervical mucus and serum in infertile individuals. Thus immunological examinations of these individuals should be standard diagnostic practice. In the present paper we studied the frequency of antisperm antibodies among infertile Polish couples. MATERIAL/METHODS: Serum samples from infertile women (n=194) and men (n=186) were tested by means of the indirect immunobead-binding test. Also, cervical mucus samples obtained from 155 women were investigated using the same test. Semen samples from 202 men were tested with the direct immunobead-binding test. RESULTS: 4.1% of the serum samples from infertile women were positive for antisperm antibodies, as well as 7% of the serum samples from infertile men, and 3.2% of the cervical mucus samples. 10.4% of the samples had spermatozoa-coated antibodies. In the respective control samples, the immunobead-binding test did not reveal any positive cases when given the applied 'cut-off' values. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary report attempts to determine for the first time the frequency of antisperm antibodies in a Polish population of infertile married couples.