Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Clinical Investigation logoLink to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
. 1982 Jul;70(1):33–40. doi: 10.1172/JCI110600

Sperm-related antigens, antibodies, and circulating immune complexes in sera of recently vasectomized men.

S S Witkin, G Zelikovsky, A M Bongiovanni, N Geller, R A Good, N K Day
PMCID: PMC370223  PMID: 7085887

Abstract

Sera from 35 men were collected before and at timed intervals subsequent to vasectomy and examined for the presence of (a) antibody reactive with human spermatozoa, (b) sperm-related antigen, and (c) circulating immune complexes (CIC). Fewer than 10% of the men examined were ever positive for antisperm antibodies. However, sperm-related antigens were elevated in the sera of 18, 18, and 26% of the mean at 2 wk, 2 mo, and 4 mo postvasectomy, respectively. CIC were detected in the sera of some vasectomized men by three different assays. The CIC in patients' sera were precipitated with polyethylene glycol, dissociated, and the individual CIC components identified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Most, but not all, of the CIC contained antigen reactive with antisperm immunoglobulin (Ig)G and some also contained complement components C3 and/or Clq. IgA was identified in some of the CIC positive for IgG and sperm antigen and two men had IgM-containing CIC. Analysis of the CIC by sucrose gradient centrifugation revealed them to be heterogeneous in size.

Full text

PDF
33

Selected References

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

  1. Alexander N. J., Clarkson T. B. Vasectomy increases the severity of diet-induced atherosclerosis in Macaca fascicularis. Science. 1978 Aug 11;201(4355):538–541. doi: 10.1126/science.96532. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bedford J. M. Adaptations of the male reproductive tract and the fate of spermatozoa following vasectomy in the rabbit, rhesus monkey, hamster and rat. Biol Reprod. 1976 Mar;14(2):118–142. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod14.2.118. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bigazzi P. E., Kosuda L. L., Harnick L. L. Sperm autoantibodies in vasectomized rats of different inbred strains. Science. 1977 Sep 23;197(4310):1282–1283. doi: 10.1126/science.897668. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bigazzi P. E., Kosuda L. L., Hsu K. C., Andres G. A. Immune complex orchitis in vasectomized rabbits. J Exp Med. 1976 Feb 1;143(2):382–404. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.2.382. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Clarkson T. B., Alexander N. J. Long-term vasectomy: effects on the occurrence and extent of atherosclerosis in rhesus monkeys. J Clin Invest. 1980 Jan;65(1):15–25. doi: 10.1172/JCI109645. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Creighton W. D., Lambert P. H., Miescher P. A. Detection of antibodies and soluble antigen-antibody complexes by precipitation with polyethylene glycol. J Immunol. 1973 Oct;111(4):1219–1227. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gupta A. S., Kothari L. K., Bapna R. B. Surgical sterilization by vasectomy and its effects on the structure and function of the testis in man. Br J Surg. 1975 Jan;62(1):59–63. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800620114. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hackett R. E., Waterhouse K. Vasectomy--reviewed. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1973 Jun 1;116(3):438–455. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hellema H. W., Rümke P. The micro-sperm immobilization test: the use of only motile spermatozoa and studies of complement. Clin Exp Immunol. 1978 Jan;31(1):1–11. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MARDINEY M. R., Jr, MUELLER-EBERHARD H. J. MOUSE BETA-1C-GLOBULIN: PRODUCTION OF ANTISERUM AND CHARACTERIZATION IN THE COMPLEMENT REACTION. J Immunol. 1965 Jun;94:877–882. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. PHADKE A. M. FATE OF SPERMATOZOA IN CASES OF OBSTRUCTIVE AZOOSPERMIA AND AFTER LIGATION OF VAS DEFERENS IN MAN. J Reprod Fertil. 1964 Feb;7:1–12. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0070001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Paganelli R., Levinsky R. J., Atherton D. J. Detection of specific antigen within circulating immune complexes: validation of the assay and its application to food antigen-antibody complexes formed in healthy and food-allergic subjects. Clin Exp Immunol. 1981 Oct;46(1):44–53. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Scharfstein J., Nussenzweig V. Cross-species contamination of commercial serum proteins. J Immunol. 1979 May;122(5):2135–2135. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Theofilopoulos A. N., Wilson C. B., Dixon F. J. The Raji cell radioimmune assay for detecting immune complexes in human sera. J Clin Invest. 1976 Jan;57(1):169–182. doi: 10.1172/JCI108257. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tung K. S., Alexander N. J. Monocytic orchitis and aspermatogenesis in normal and vasectomized rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Am J Pathol. 1980 Oct;101(1):17–29. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tung K. S. Human sperm antigens and antisperm antibodies I. Studies on vasectomy patients. Clin Exp Immunol. 1975 Apr;20(1):93–104. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Walker A. M., Jick H., Hunter J. R., Danford A., Watkins R. N., Alhadeff L., Rothman K. J. Vasectomy and non-fatal myocardial infarction. Lancet. 1981 Jan 3;1(8210):13–15. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(81)90116-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Witkin S. S., Sarkar N. H., Kinne D. W., Breed C. N., Good R. A., Day N. K. Antigens and antibodies cross-reactive to the murine mammary tumor virus in human breast cyst fluids. J Clin Invest. 1981 Jan;67(1):216–222. doi: 10.1172/JCI110016. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Witkin S. S., Shahani S. K., Gupta S., Good R. A., Day N. K. Demonstration of IgG Fc receptors on spermatozoa and their utilization for the detection of circulating immune complexes in human serum. Clin Exp Immunol. 1980 Sep;41(3):441–452. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Witkin S. S., Zelikovsky G., Good R. A., Day N. K. Demonstration of 11S IgA antibody to spermatozoa in human seminal fluid. Clin Exp Immunol. 1981 May;44(2):368–374. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Investigation are provided here courtesy of American Society for Clinical Investigation

RESOURCES