The Effect of Immunoglobulin Occurring on Human Sperm In Vivo on the Human Sperm/Hamster Ova Penetration Assay

Abstract

Infertile men (91) who were tested for increased sperm-associated Ig and also tested in the human sperm/hamster ova penetration assay were selected. There was a statistically significant association between the presence of increased sperm-associated IgG alone (P = 0.0218) and both sperm-associated IgG and A (P = 0.0187) when correlated with the failure to penetrate any hamser ova. There was a trend but no statistical significance when sperm-associated IgA alone was present. There was a trend but no statistical relationship between the presence of sperm-associated Ig and the sperm penetration assay when the criteria for normality of the sperm penetration assay was a .gtoreq. 15% ovum penetration rate.