Significance of antisperm antibody assay in male infertility cases with varicocele

Objective:To investigate the expression and its significance of antisperm antibody(AsAb) in serum, seminal plasma and the surface of sperm in male infertility cases with varicocele (VC). Methods: The data of 60 male infertility cases with VC and 220 subjects of healthy men(control group) were gathered for determining AsAb in serum and seminal plasma by ELISA and on surface of sperm by mixed agglutination reaction test(MARTest). Sperm concentration, percentage of motile sperm and teratosperm were measured by computer assistant sperm analysis (CASA)and fertility indexes were calculated as well. Results:①The positive rate of AsAb in serum of VC cases was 10% vs. 8.18% in controls, which showed no difference(P0.05), whereas the positive rate of AsAb in seminal plasma(16.7%) and on the surface of sperm(15%) was higher than that of the control group(7.27% and 6.81%, respectively)(P0.05).②There was significant difference on semen density between the AsAb(+) group and AsAb(-) group in VC infertile patients, with decrease of fertility indexes in AsAb positive group (P0.05).Conclusion: Varicocele can increase the positive rate of AsAb, and thus decreasing fertility index. Determination of AsAb in seminal plasma and on the surface of sperm is more valuable than that of mere AsAb in serum in clinical diagnosis of patients with infertility.