Immunoglobulin classes, secretory component, and sperm agglutinins in semen after vasovasostomy

Intranasal immunization with C. muridarum major outer membrane protein (MOMP) and cholera toxin elicits local production of neutralising IgA in the prostate

Successful control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) through vaccination will require the development of vaccine strategies that target protective immunity to both the female and male reproductive tracts (MRT). In the male, the immune privileged nature of the male reproductive tract provides a barrier to entry of serum immunoglobulins into the male reproductive ducts, thereby preventing the induction of protective immunity using conventional injectable vaccination techniques. In this study we investigated the potential of intranasal (IN) immunization to elicit anti-chlamydial immunity in BALB/c male mice. Intranasal immunization with Chlamydia muridarum major outer membrane protein (MOMP) admixed with cholera toxin (CT) resulted in high levels of MOMP-specific IgA in prostatic fluids (PF) and MOMP-specific IgA-secreting cells in the prostate. Prostatic fluid IgA inhibited in vitro infection of McCoy cells with C. muridarum. Using RT-PCR we also show that mRNA for the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIgR), which transports IgA across mucosal epithelia, is expressed only in the prostate but not in other regions of the male reproductive ducts upstream of the prostate. These data suggest that using intranasal immunization to target IgA to the prostate may protect males against STDs while at the same time maintaining the state of immune privilege within the MRT.

Local immunity in the male reproductive tract

In previous studies we have demonstrated that the male urinary tract forms part of the common mucosal immune system, and that the gut contributes to local defences at this site. The question arises as to the extent to which the reproductive tract also forms part of the common mucosal immune system. Rats were immunized by a variety of routes designed to stimulate a local response in the intestine and/or the reproductive tract. Rats immunized only by the intratesticular (i.t.) route yielded no antibody-containing (ACC) response in any of the tissues examined. Intestinal immunization using intraperitoneal priming followed by intraduodenal challenge (i.p./i.d.) yielded a substantial IgA-specific ACC response in the jejunum, but no ACC were detectable in any of the reproductive tract tissues. However, when intestinal and testicular immunizations were combined, large numbers of IgA-specific antibodies were detected in all tissues examined. Chronic drainage of the thoracic lymphatic duct throughout the post-challenge period abrogated the ACC response in all tissues of the reproductive tract, indicating that the ACC appearing at these sites after immunization were of gut origin. The IgA-specific anti-OVA antibody detectable in serum, saliva and testis homogenate reflected the ACC counts in histological sections. The studies reported here confirm that the male reproductive tract does form part of a common mucosal immune system and that gut-associated lymphoid tissues may contribute cellular precursors for ACC, particularly those of IgA specificity, appearing in the tract after local challenge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anejaculation following spinal cord injury does not induce sperm-agglutinating antibodies

Antisperm antibodies were tested for by the MAR-test and the tray agglutination test in 16 men with spinal cord injury. None of these men could ejaculate without artificial methods. Seven men ejaculated externally by vibrator stimulation or electroejaculation, while seven exhibited retrograde ejaculation; in two cases no semen was obtained. Sperm density in the external ejaculations was high (average = 405 x 10(6)/ml), with 10-45% motility. None of these 16 men had antisperm antibodies. This result indicates that anejaculation and sperm retention in men with spinal cord injury, even of 30 years duration, does not result in antisperm antibody formation.

Indirect mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) as a screening procedure for antisperm antibodies. I. Methodological studies

Direct mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) cannot always be carried out because it requires motile spermatozoa in the patient's ejaculate. Therefore, the indirect MAR for IgG and IgA using donor spermatozoa sensitized with serum or seminal plasma from patients was investigated with the aim of developing a practical screening procedure for antisperm antibodies involving a characterization of the Ig-class of the antibodies. Samples from 23 men, 13 men with and 10 men without agglutinating antisperm antibodies, were used for the methodological experiments with the indirect MAR. Among three procedures to diminish the amount of nonbound immunoglobulin after sensitizing the donor spermatozoa with serial dilutions of serum or seminal plasma, a swim-up method was found to be optimal. The indirect MAR was carried out with glutaraldehyde-fixed sheep erythrocytes coated with IgG or IgA and various dilutions of anti-IgG and anti-IgA, respectively. These experiments led to a standardization of the indirect MAR, making it sensitive, easy to read, and allowing the reactions for IgG and IgA to be compared on an approximately equimolecular basis.

Detection of autoimmunity to sperm: mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) test or sperm agglutination? A study on 537 men from infertile couples

Two different ways of testing for antisperm antibodies were compared: the mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) test for demonstration of antibodies of the IgG and IgA classes bound in vivo to the sperm membrane antigens and the gelatin agglutination test for detection of nonbound antisperm antibodies in serum and seminal plasma. Samples from 537 men from infertile couples were investigated. Antibodies bound to the sperm membrane were detected in 49 men (9.1%), IgG in 44 (8.2%), and IgA in 38 cases (7.1%). Sperm agglutinins were recorded in seminal plasma from 30 men (5.6%) and in serum (titer greater than or equal to 16) from 43 men (8.0%). The investigation revealed a very close correlation between the results of MAR testing and the occurrence of sperm agglutinins in serum and seminal plasma. However, if one focuses on antisperm antibodies of the IgA class, which seem to play the major role in male immune infertility, the MAR test offered the advantage that a minor group of patients with pure IgG responses could be distinguished, and rare cases with mainly or exclusively locally produced IgA antibodies could be detected.

Immunoglobulin class of sperm antibodies in cervical mucus from infertile women

By immunoaffinity chromatography using anti-IgG, anti-IgM, and anti-IgA coupled to CNBr-activated sepharose 4B, the immunoglobulin class of sperm-agglutinating antibodies was investigated in cervical mucus from four infertile women. In all patients, it was found that the sperm antibodies in cervical mucus belonged to the IgA class, whereas in serum, which was studied in two of the patients, IgG sperm antibodies were demonstrated. Absorption of the four cervical mucus samples with anti-secretory component sepharose 4B revealed that the IgA antibodies in at least two of the samples were SC-IgA antibodies. Investigation of a third sample by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation revealed that the IgA sperm antibodies were characterized by a sedimentation coefficient between 9S and 13S, strongly suggesting the presence of SC-IgA antibodies. Accordingly, the sperm-agglutinating antibodies were SC-IgA antibodies in at least three of the four samples studied.