Male infertility and immune function.

This month's Views and Reviews provided a detailed review of how the immune system plays a role in male fertility and infertility. The first article provided an elegant overview of the physiology of the blood-testis barrier and the pathophysiology of impairment. Lindenbaum et al examined the current state of evidence surrounding antisperm antibody testing and the role it plays in contemporary practice. Robertson and Sharkey described the role seminal plasma cytokines play in fertility and infertility, as well as the current state of testing. Campbell et al performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the evidence behind the reproductive effects of genital pathogens. As the field of reproductive medicine expands its understanding of how the immune system associates with male fertility, the treatment of our patients will improve.