SPERM-IMMUNOBEAD BINDING DECREASES WITH IN-VITRO INCUBATION

Objective: To characterize the stability of the sperm-immunobead assoc iation over time. Design: Prospective evaluation of sperm-immunobead b inding, using direct and indirect assays. Setting: Male Infertility Cl inic, University of California, Davis, Davis, California. Patients: El even men with sperm surface antibodies and 25 men with serum antisperm antibodies volunteered. Main Outcome Measures: Repeated assessment of sperm-immunobead binding over time. Results: Serum immunoglobulin (Ig )G decreased a mean of 42.6% over 30 minutes, and serum IgA decreased a mean of 22.7% over 30 minutes. Semen-derived IgG binding fell a mean of 59.9% and semen-derived IgA fell a mean of 27.0% over 25 to 40 min utes. Conclusions: Sperm-immunobead coincubation results in a decrease in the number of sperm bound to immunobeads.