Treatment of infertility caused by antisperm antibodies

Abstract

Twenty infertile couples with antisperm antibodies in the male or in the female partner were scheduled for treatment. In 15 couples the male and in 5 couples the female partner was the antisperm antibody carrier. In all the couples the result of the in vivo and in vitro sperm-penetration test was negative or poor. The SCMC-test was strongly positive in each of the couples. In all the couples IgG and IgA antisperm antibodies could be demonstrated on the spermatozoa or in the cervical mucus. It was postulated that antisperm IgA and not antisperm IgG is responsible for the penetration reduction of spermatozoa in cervical mucus and for the "shaking phenomenon" in the SCMC-test. Intrauterine inseminations, performed in 20 couples, resulted in four pregnancies. Condom therapy in three couples, for at lest 6 months, had no result. Two men were treated with 96 mg methylprednisolone per day for 7 days; this resulted in a slight decrease of the sperm-agglutination titre, but no pregnancy occurred.