Isolation of human spermatozoa membrane antigens binding sperm-immobilizing and sperm-agglutinating antibodies.

Peptides of human spermatozoa were dissolved with Hyamine 2389 and Triton X-100 and separated by chromatography on Biogel P4 columns into seven fractions. The antigenic activities of the separated sperm-membrane fractions were tested according to their capacity to inhibit sperm agglutination and sperm immobilization (immune inhibition test) in human sera of sterile patients. Sperm-agglutinating and sperm-immobilizing activity was tested by the microtray agglutination and microtray immobilization test. A titer reduction was achieved only in sperm-immobilizing sera. Four sperm antigenic fractions revealed in the majority of the repeatedly tested sperm-immobilizing sera an inhibition of the antigen-antibody reaction. No reaction was observed after exhaustive absorption of the tested seven antigen fractions with sperm-agglutinating sera. Therefore the conclusion can be drawn that sperm-agglutinating and sperm-immobilizing antibodies react with different sperm antigens. Normal human sera without sperm antibodies served as control. As no sperm agglutination or sperm immobilization was obtained after absorption of these control sera our antigen fractions do not produce sperm agglutination or sperm immobilization.