[Methods for the detection of antisperm antibodies associated with immunologically-mediated human infertility].

Among others, immunological factors can be the reason for human infertility. The aim of the present critical review was to the analyze the literature data, published in the last 20 years, as well as our experimental and clinical results concerning the most frequently used in the international centers methods for the detection of antisperm antibodies associated with immunologically--mediated human infertility.

[The role of antisperm antibodies in the induction of immunologically-mediated human infertility].

Among others, immonulogical factors can be the reason for human infertility. Our critical review of English-Language literature published between 1979 and May 2001, as well as the analyzed literature data for the Bulgarian population, showed sufficient evidence that antisperm antibodies impair fertility in couple with unexplained infertility by different pathogenetic mechanisms.

[The use of SIT and ELISA to detect serum sperm antibodies in infertile patients].

The existence of natural sperm antibodies in fertile subjects requires the application of additional methods in certain cases of significant, but near to the borderline agglutinating titers, in order to distinguish between pathological and natural sperm antibodies. We applied the sperm immobilization test (SIT) of Isojima and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with sera from infertile patients (n = 66) that have been positive in at least one of the agglutination methods of Kibrick and Friberg. The data were compared with the results for a control group of blood donors (n = 50).

[The incidence of sperm antibodies in patients included in a program of assisted reproduction].

The aim of the present investigation was to establish the sperm antibody incidence among patients included in a program for assisted reproduction by the means of the classical and new methods for sperm antibody detection; to analyze the correlation between the results demonstrated by the different techniques; to evaluate the obtained data in the context of the application of new assisted reproduction technologies (ART). In the Laboratory of Reproductive Immunology, Department of Biology, Medical University of Sofia, 73 sera from patients (35 couples and 3 men) with primary and secondary infertility, aged 23-46 years, grouped according to the diagnosis and included in the program for assisted reproduction "Technobioassistance" were tested. Our results demonstrated the highest incidence of sperm antibodies amongst patients with primary unexplained infertility.