Serum Immunoglobulin Levels in Vasectomized Men: Preliminary Report**Supported by Contract N01-HD-3-2759 from the Center for Population Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.††Presented in part at the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of The American Fertility Society, April 5 to 9, 1976, Las Vegas, Nev

Immunoglobulin concentration in serum and seminal fluid from men with and without sperm-agglutinating antibodies

Serum and seminal fluid from infertile men with head-to-head (H-H) or tail-to-tail (T-T) sperm-agglutinating antibodies and fertile men devoid of sperm antibodies were examined for immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, IgM, IgD, and IgE. Only IgG, IgA, and IgE were demonstrated in the seminal fluid. No statistically significant differences in the serum or seminal fluid immunoglobulin concentrations were found between the fertile and the two infertile groups of men examined.

Seminal fructose, citric acid and acid phosphatase before and after vasectomy in man

Seminal fructose, citric acid and acid phosphatase were estimated from 23 healthy males before vasectomy and three months later. Each subject had children and the men volunteered for sterilization because other possibilities of contraception were inapplicable. Vasectomy was performed under local anesthesia in the conventional manner. Semen of all patients was azoospermic three months after vasectomy. In this study, the amounts of seminal fructose and citric acid were significantly higher after vasectomy than before operation. The activity of seminal acid phosphatase was a little less, but the difference was not significant. The increase of seminal fructose and citric acid could be explained by the lack of spermatozoa, which normally use them into their metabolism.

Immunological consequences of vasectomy: I. Prospective study through one-year postvasecotomy

Autoimmunity to sperm developed in two-thirds of men within 1 year after vasectomy as measured by sperm agglutinating and sperm immobilizing antibody tests. Sperm antibody responses to vasectomy were greater in younger than in older men. A direct relationship was apparent between increasing incidence of sperm immobilizing antibody and genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease. Some vasectomized men developed immune responses to autoantigens other than spermatozoa. Increased antithyroglobulin activity was evenly divided between patients who formed sperm antibody and those who did not. Antinuclear activity was more frequent in patients who were sperm antibody responders.