OBJECTIVE

To measure the levels of antigamete antibodies in serum and peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis and/or infertility.

DESIGN

Antibody activity against human sperm and porcine oocytes was analyzed in selected subgroups of women.

SETTING

Clinic of reproduction.

PATIENT(S): Women with endometriosis and/or infertility.

INTERVENTION(S): No treatment was implemented before peritoneal fluid and blood sample collection.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Quantitative ELISA.

RESULT(S): Four groups of women (n = 98) were analyzed for the presence of antizona and antisperm antibodies: infertile with endometriosis (n = 30), idiopathic infertility (n = 28), fertile with endometriosis (n = 20), and healthy fertile controls (n = 20). Antibodies were analyzed simultaneously in serum and peritoneal fluid. No statistically significant differences in antibody levels were detected in serum samples among the analyzed groups. The median values for antizona and antisperm antibodies in peritoneal fluid were significantly higher in women with idiopathic infertility than in the control group. In women with unexplained infertility, a high degree of correlation (Spearman) was found between the presence of antizona antibodies in peritoneal fluid and serum (r = 0.579). A positive predictive value of 80% was calculated for the presence of antizona antibodies (>5 ng/oocyte) in the peritoneal fluid of patients with infertility.

CONCLUSION(S): Antizona antibodies locally produced in the peritoneal fluid have diagnostic value for infertility status; however, they cannot be treated as a marker or prognostic factor for minimal endometriosis and/or its treatment.