Autoimmunity to sperm.

1. Sperm-specific antigens behave immunologically more like foreign than self antigens. 2. Consequences of autoimmune response to testicular and/or sperm antigens can result in allergic orchitis, postvasoligation orchitis, and infertility. In these conditions, multiple pathogenetic mechanisms, including immune complexes and T-cell-mediated immune reaction, have been shown to be important. 3. Normally, factors that circumvent sperm autoimmune disease are likely to be multiple. Besides the mechanism of sperm-antigen sequestration, other controlling mechanisms also should be considered.