What Causes Antisperm Antibodies?

It is not entirely known why antisperm antibodies develop in some people. Typically, sperm are protected from your immune system by a protective lining, called the blood-testes barrier. This barrier prevents cells from your immune system from getting mixed in with your sperm and killing them. Sometimes, surgery or injury can interfere with this barrier, allowing immune cells to come into contact with sperm cells.

How Common are Antisperm Antibodies?

Antisperm antibodies are actually thought to be relatively common in a certain subset of men. While only 1% of fertile men have these antibodies in their blood stream, up to 10% of infertile men have them. Men who have undergone reproductive surgery also seem to have antisperm antibodies; up to 70% of men who have had a vasectomy reversal have antisperm antibodies.

Sometimes, women can develop antisperm antibodies. About 5% of women with unexplained infertility have these antibodies in their blood stream. As a result, sperm are killed before they have chance to fertilize the egg.

Who Can Get Antisperm Antibodies?

Any man can potentially develop antisperm antibodies, as can any woman, so couples facing infertility should be tested for the antibodies. However, certain people are more at risk of developing these antibodies.

Men who have experienced the following are at increased risk for developing antisperm antibodies:

  • vasectomy reversal
  • testicular cancer
  • testicular biopsy
  • varicocele
  • testicular torsion
  • infections

These factors increase your risk for having your blood-testes barrier compromised, which can lead to the growth of antisperm antibodies.

Testing for Antisperm Antibodies
There are a variety of tests that can detect the presence of antisperm antibodies in the body:

  • Blood Tests: In women, blood tests are commonly used to detect the antibody.
  • Post-Coital Test: The post-coital test can detect the presence of antisperm antibodies in a woman's cervical mucus.
  • Sperm Testing: In men, sperm testing is the best way to analyze for antisperm antibodies. The immunobead assay and the mixed agglutination reaction test are both used.

Treating Antisperm Antibodies?
There are a variety of treatments available to help couples struggling with antisperm antibodies to conceive.

  • Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids help to decrease the production of antisperm antibodies. Unfortunately, corticosteroids are associated with side effects, including hipbone damage.
  • Intrauterine Insemination(IUI): IUI can help couples to overcome antisperm antibodies as it allows sperm to bypass the cervical mucus. Fertility drugs can also be used.
  • In-Vitro Fertilization(IVF): IVF is the most successful treatment for couples with antisperm antibodies. This allows the sperm to be directly injected into the egg, without havng to travel through the uterus and fallopian tubes.

 

 

Table of Contents
1. Your immune system
2. Antisperm antibodies
 
 
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