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. 1978 Aug;33(2):244–251.

Inhibition of viral reverse transcriptase and human sperm DNA polymerase by anti-sperm antibodies.

S S Witkin, P J Higgins, A Bendich
PMCID: PMC1537572  PMID: 82498

Abstract

The IgG fraction of serum from a rabbit immunized with detergent-prepared human sperm nuclei inhibited the DNA polymerase activities in human sperm and seminal fluid as well as the partially purified reverse transcriptase of the baboon endogenous type-C retrovirus (BEV). The analogous enzymes from lysates of oncogenic type-C viruses was unaffected. IgG from the serum of individual partners from infertile marriages similarly inhibited both purified BEV reverse transcriptase and human sperm DNA polymerase, but not a DNA polymerase isolated from human prostatic fluid. The data suggest that BEV reverse transcriptase and the human sperm DNA polymerase are antigenically related. Furthermore, the sperm appears to be auto-antigenic and the antibodies thus formed may be capable of interfering with reproductive success.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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