Abstract
This article briefly reviews our knowledge about antisperm antibodies (ASA) in females and outlines several hypotheses regarding the etiology of sperm immunity in women.
There is evidence that strong ASA in females can reduce the chances of conception and ASA from female sera have also been found to inhibit in vitro fertilization (IVF) in humans and some animal models. Several possible factors leading to development of ASA in human females have been proposed, including cross-reactivity with microbial antigens, and the possible role of antibody idiotypes and interferon gamma mediated potentiation of the antisperm immune response in women whose male partners have ASA in their semen. It is vital that more research is conducted in this area if we are to understand female immuno-modulation in response to sperm antigenicity.
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Clarke, G.N. (2009). ASA in the Female. In: Krause, W., Naz, R. (eds) Immune Infertility. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01379-9_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01379-9_10
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