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Abstract

Antisperm antibodies associated with infertility: Properties and encoding genes of target antigens (HTML) 
Koide,Samuel S.; Wang,Linfang; Kamada,Masaharu
Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 224(3): 123-132
Publication date: 2000

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Infertility among couples of reproductive age is a perplexingcondition when the cause is indeterminate. These cases are classifiedas unexplained infertility. In a subset of subjects, antispermantibodies with sperm agglutinating and/or immobilizing activitieshave been detected in the blood or fluids of the reproductivetract. These cases are designated as immunologic infertilityalthough a cause and effect relationship of the antibodies toinfertility has not been established. In this review, seventarget sperm antigens to antibodies associated with infertilityand their encoding genes are described. The antisperm antibodies(ASAs) examined were obtained from infertile women or were monoclonalantibodies (mAb) raised against human sperm proteins. All theASAs studied possessed potent sperm agglutinating and/or immobilizingactivities. The target antigens were isolated from human andother mammalian sperm, and the encoding genes identified. Theseven antigens are YWK-II, BE-20, rSMP-B, BS-63 (nucleoporin-related),BS-17 (calpastatin), HED-2 (zyxin), and 75- kDa. Each antigenis a distinct and separate entity and is produced by differentcells of the reproductive tract, (e.g., germ cells, epididymalepithelial cells, and Sertoli cells). No single predominanttarget component has been found to interact with the ASAs. Itis proposed that immunologic infertility is the consequenceof the combined actions of multiple ASAs in immobilizing and/oragglutinating spermatozoa, blocking spermegg interaction, preventingimplantation, and/or arresting embryo development.

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