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Immunity to Sperm and Fertility

  • Chapter
Book cover Male Infertility

Abstract

The immunogenicity of sperm in homologous systems was demonstrated experimentally at the beginning of this century (Metalnikoff, 1900), but 50 years passed before autoantibodies to sperm were detected in some infertile men (Rümke 1954; Wilson 1954). These early studies indicated that the antibodies could cause autoagglutination of the spermatozoa in the ejaculate and impair sperm penetration through cervical mucus, thereby impairing fertility. In the last 40 years there have been numerous publications indicating that anti-sperm antibodies can by themselves reduce fertility in males as well as females. However, only antibodies to some of the many sperm specific antigens have this effect and both the antibody concentration and the immunoglobulin class are important. Therefore the choice of techniques for evaluating the immune response becomes crucial.

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Authors
  1. T. Hjort
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  2. T. B. Hargreave
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK

    T. B. Hargreave MS, FRCS, FRCSE, FEB (Urol) (Consultant Urological Surgeon, Part-time Senior Lecturer) (Consultant Urological Surgeon, Part-time Senior Lecturer)

  2. Department of Surgery, Edinburgh University, UK

    T. B. Hargreave MS, FRCS, FRCSE, FEB (Urol) (Consultant Urological Surgeon, Part-time Senior Lecturer) (Consultant Urological Surgeon, Part-time Senior Lecturer)

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© 1994 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Hjort, T., Hargreave, T.B. (1994). Immunity to Sperm and Fertility. In: Hargreave, T.B. (eds) Male Infertility. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1029-3_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1029-3_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-76216-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-1029-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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