Prevention of antisperm autoantibody response in vasectomised Swiss white mice by infusion of heterologous antisperm serum.

Antisperm autoimmunisation may cause infertility in men following spermatic cord torsion, testicular biopsy and vasectomy with attempted reversal. The demonstration in addition of antisperm autoantibody-associated systemic disease in animals is cause for concern, although there is to date little evidence for these effects in man. We have investigated the use of heterologous antisperm antiserum to block the autoimmunising effect of vasectomy in Swiss white mice. Antisperm autoantibodies were detected by microimmunofluorescence at 1/8 dilution in all eight control mice tested 1 month after vasectomy, and in none of the five mice who had received high-titre or low-titre immune serum (P less than 0.001). However, the high-titre serum was toxic in the amounts used.