Koyama K, Kameda K, Nakamura N, Kubota K, Shigeta M, Isojima S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hyogo Medical College, Japan.
Fertil Steril. 1991 Nov;56(5):954-9. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)54671-8.
To study carbohydrate natures in the antigen epitopes corresponding to sperm-immobilizing antibodies in infertile women.
Antibody absorption with human sperm and seminal plasma before and after treatments with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid or sodium metaperiodate.
Thirty-three patients who showed a positive sperm immobilization test provided their sera for the experiment.
In 25 patients' sera whose sperm-immobilizing antibodies were absorbed with human seminal plasma, the antibody absorbing capabilities were completely abolished by deglycosylation treatment with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. The sperm-immobilizing antibodies in 4 patients' sera were absorbed out with sperm membrane fraction before the treatment but not after the treatment with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. In some patients' sera, the antibody-absorbing capabilities of ejaculated sperm were markedly reduced by sodium metaperiodate treatment.
The majority of sperm-immobilizing antibodies in infertile patients might be generated to carbohydrate structures of the sperm-coating antigens or sperm membrane antigens.
