Linnet L, Møller N P, Bernth-Petersen P, Ehlers N, Brandslund I, Svehag S E
Fertil Steril. 1982 Jun;37(6):798-806.
On the basis of studies in monkeys, the hypothesis has been proposed that vasectomy induces the formation of circulating immune complexes (CICs), which--via activation of the complement system--may result in immune injury of the endothelium and thereby exacerbate atherosclerosis; the same mechanism has been suggested to cause retinal arteriolar changes in vasectomized men. We compared 46 men, 5 years after vasectomy, with 46 age-matched control subjects and found no difference in the distribution of arteriolosclerotic retinopathy gradings evaluated by ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography. Blood samples from the two groups were collected and handled identically, and no significant difference in activity was found in four different tests for CICs and two tests for split products of complement factor C3. Thus, the results do not support the hypothesis that changes mediated by CICs occur in vessels after human vasectomy.
基于对猴子的研究，有人提出一种假说，即输精管切除术会诱导循环免疫复合物（CIC）的形成，这些复合物通过激活补体系统，可能导致内皮免疫损伤，进而加剧动脉粥样硬化；有人认为同样的机制会导致输精管切除术后男性出现视网膜小动脉变化。我们将46名输精管切除术后5年的男性与46名年龄匹配的对照受试者进行比较，通过检眼镜检查和眼底摄影评估，发现小动脉硬化性视网膜病变分级分布没有差异。两组的血样采集和处理方式相同，在四项不同的CIC检测和两项补体因子C3裂解产物检测中，未发现活性有显著差异。因此，结果不支持人类输精管切除术后血管中发生由CIC介导的变化这一假说。
