Immune factors account for 5%-15% of male infertility. Because of the diversity in molecular weight, structure and location, sperm antigens play different roles in immune infertility. Antisperm antibodies (AsAb) influence sperm function not only by direct action, but also by changing the local microenvironment indirectly. This paper reviews the progress in the studies of the implication of human sperm antigens, the function, mechanisms, categories and titer of AsAb in male infertility.
Antibodies ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Isotypes ; immunology ; Male ; Reproduction ; Spermatozoa ; immunology

Up to 15% of male infertility has an immunological origin, either due to repetitive infections or to autoimmune responses mainly affecting the epididymis, prostate, and testis. Clinical observations and epidemiological data clearly contradict the idea that the testis confers immune protection to the whole male genital tract. As a consequence, the epididymis, in which posttesticular spermatozoa mature and are stored, has raised some interest in recent years when it comes to its immune mechanisms. Indeed, sperm cells are produced at puberty, long after the establishment of self-tolerance, and they possess unique surface proteins that cannot be recognized as self. These are potential targets of the immune system, with the risk of inducing autoantibodies and consequently male infertility. Epididymal immunity is based on a finely tuned equilibrium between efficient immune responses to pathogens and strong tolerance to sperm cells. These processes rely on incompletely described molecules and cell types. This review compiles recent studies focusing on the immune cell types populating the epididymis, and proposes hypothetical models of the organization of epididymal immunity with a special emphasis on the immune response, while also discussing important aspects of the epididymal immune regulation such as tolerance and tumour control.
Adaptive Immunity ; Animals ; Epididymis/immunology* ; Fertility/immunology* ; Genital Neoplasms, Male/immunology* ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Infertility, Male/immunology* ; Male ; Spermatozoa/immunology*

Proteomics and polemic techniques are among the most valuable approaches in the research of life science in this new century, marking the beginning of a post-genome era. Two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, applied as key techniques in proteomic research, have given rise to new research strategies and improved the efficiency of researchers in exploring the unknown field. Its introduction into the exploration of spermatozoal proteins has given us so many pleasant surprises. This review presents some essential information about proteomics and two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, with a brief introduction of the recent progress in the researches on human sperm proteome, capacitation-related sperm proteins, sperm-egg interaction-related proteins, and sperm-immunity which has made great senses in the clinical problems.
Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Humans ; Male ; Proteome ; Spermatozoa ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo test anti-Sp17 antibodies in the serum of AsAb positive infertile patients, to investigate the proportion of anti-Spl7 antibodies in AsAb and their potential application to the serologic diagnosis of immune infertility and immunocontraception.

METHODSWith human recombinant Sp17 as the antigen, the ELISA method was used to detect the positive rate, antibody titre and content of anti-Sp17 antibodies in the AsAb positive serum.

RESULTSThe positive rate of anti-Sp17 antibodies in the AsAb positive serum was 56.5%, with no significant difference in the gender aspect. The percentage of anti-Sp17 antibodies in AsAb was (10.09 +/-7.45) %, with statistical significance (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSp17 is an important sperm antigen. Anti-Sp17 antibodies in the serum can be taken as auxiliary diagnostic index of infertility, and Sp17 is shown to be a potential candidate immunocontraception vaccine.

Adult ; Antigens, Surface ; immunology ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Carrier Proteins ; immunology ; Contraception, Immunologic ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; blood ; immunology ; Male ; Spermatozoa ; immunology

The formation of antisperm antibodies (AsAb) results from the disruption of the blood-testis barrier by a variety of mechanisms, which leads to exposure of immunogenic sperm antigens to the immune system and initiates an immune response. AsAb can impair the fusion of sperm and egg and even the embryo development, resulting in infertility. The etiology of AsAb, effect of AsAb on assisted reproduction and treatment of AsAb in the literature are reviewed in this article.
Antibodies ; immunology ; Antibody Formation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Male ; Reproductive Techniques ; Spermatozoa ; immunology

The epididymal protease inhibitor (Eppin) has recently been cloned in human and mice, which is specifically expressed in the epididymis and testis. Eppin is a cystine-rich secretory protein which contains signal peptide, WAP and BPTI motifs. Eppin is involved in sperm maturation and fertilization, and in the innate immune system of human epididymis. Immunocontraception with Eppin is effective and reliable, but its safety is to be further proved. This paper summarizes the effects of Eppin of fertilization and immunity, as well as its utilization in immunocontraception.
Animals ; Contraception, Immunologic ; Epididymis ; immunology ; Fertility ; physiology ; Haplorhini ; Male ; Mice ; Proteins ; immunology ; physiology ; Spermatozoa ; physiology

Fertility management is a global issue of medical, economic, and social consequence. Although many methods have been devised to inhibit reproduction, more acceptable alternatives are still needed. Regulation by immune intervention is a promising technology as applied to human beings. The objective of this review is to indicate several immunocontraceptive antigens.
Acrosin ; immunology ; Animals ; Antigens ; Contraception ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; immunology ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human ; immunology ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; immunology ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; immunology ; Male ; Spermatozoa ; immunology

A series of sperm membrane antigens, the important molecular markers associated with the program of spermatogenesis and maturation of sperm, which also are for attachment of the physiological mechanism of the sperm-egg interaction and fusion and the pathological changes in the infertility, were reviewed. Some traditional crucial sperm membrane proteins, such as FA-1, PH-20, fertilin, have been cloned and sequenced, and some novel gene which encode new proteins associated with the sperm membrane also have been screened out successively. All of these provided a basement for lucubration of these proteins and the research of the contraception vaccine.
Animals ; Antigens, Surface ; genetics ; immunology ; Cell Membrane ; immunology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatozoa ; immunology ; Vaccines, Contraceptive

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Chinese traditional medicine Yi Kang Ling (YKL) on immunity infertility caused by anti-sperm antibodies (AsAb).

METHODSWith the AsAb infertile rabbit as the experimental model, seventy-five pairs of New zealand rabbits were divided into three group including YKL treatment group (sub-divided into mini-, midi- and maxi-dosage groups), prednisone treatment group and non-treatment group. Rabbits of the YKL treatment sub-groups were further divided into M+F- (male positive, female negative), M-F+, (male negative, female positive) and M+F+ (male positive, female positive) pairs according to their initial AsAb detection results. The control group consisted of five pairs of normal rabbits. When the expected AsAb reversing ratio was achieved, the rabbits were matted and observed for the number of the pregnant and the weight of the newborn.

RESULTSStatistics showed that in M+F- pairs both the midi-dosage of YKL and prednisone treatment groups had fertility, in the mini- and maxi-dosage of YKL treatment groups, 20% of the female rabbits failed to be pregnant, while in the non-treatment group, 60% female rabbits remained sterile. The sterile ratios of the M-F+ pairs in the mini-, midi- and maxi-dosage of YKL and prednisone treatment groups were 0, 20%, 25% and 25%, respectively, while the sterile ratio in the non-treatment M-F+ group was 40%. In M+F+ groups, the sterile ratios of the three YKL sub-groups, prednisone treatment and non-treatment groups were 20%, 20% and 60% respectively. In the control group the sterile ratio was 20%. The weight of the newborn rabbits were around 50 grams with no visible malformation.

CONCLUSIONSYKL can effectively reverse the AsAb positive results, and restore the fertility of female rabbits. Mini-dosage of YKL for 45 days produced the best results and maxi-dosage of YKL had no negative effects on the weight of the newborn rabbit.

Animals ; Autoantibodies ; immunology ; Female ; Infertility, Male ; drug therapy ; etiology ; immunology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Rabbits ; Spermatozoa ; immunology

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection in infertile men, its influence on routine semen parameters and the distribution of antisperm antibody (AsAb) and its types in infertile patients with UU infection. METHODS: We detected the positive rate of UU infection, semen parameters, and the distribution of AsAb and its types in 662 infertile men and 25 normal fertile male controls followed by comparison of the obtained data between the two groups of subjects. RESULTS: The positive rate of UU infection was significantly higher in the infertile men than in the normal controls (52.87% ［350/662］ vs 16.00% ［4/25］, χ2 = 11.68, P <0.05). The semen volume, sperm count, sperm concentration and percentage of progressively motile sperm were remarkably lower in the UU-positive infertile males than in the control group (P <0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the UU-positive and UU-negative groups in the positive rates of total AsAb (43.4% vs 36.5%, χ2 = 3.25, P >0.05) and AsAb IgA, IgM and IgG in the seminal plasma, or in the percentages of serum AsAb IgM (16.9% vs 20.5%, χ2 = 1.22, P >0.05) and IgG (32.7% vs 28.9%, χ2 = 0.99, P >0.05) except in that of serum AsAb IgA (23.6% vs 17.0%, χ2 = 4.03, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS The UU infection rate is high in infertile males, which decreases the semen volume, total sperm count, motile sperm concentration and percentage of progressively motile sperm and increases the positive rate of serum AsAb IgA.
Antibodies, Bacterial ; analysis ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; immunology ; microbiology ; Male ; Semen ; Sperm Count ; Spermatozoa ; immunology ; Ureaplasma Infections ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Ureaplasma urealyticum ; immunology