FIND ARTICLE

MOLECULAR FACTOR IN REPRODUCTION. THE ROLE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTISPERM ANTIBODIES

Infertility is estimated to affect one of every five Polish couples in the reproductive age. Antisperm antibodies (ASA) are considered to be the main cause for immunological infertility, but it is still relatively little known about the specific mechanisms that elicit development of auto- and isoim- mune reactions in humans. Antibodies directed to sperm antigens can be detected in serum of men and women, but also in reproductive tract secretions such as seminal fluid, where they can be bound to the sperm surface.

Auto sperm antigens: II. Application and functional aspects

The main component of the outer surface of the eukaryotic cell membrane Sugar moieties. Their presence determines the physicochemical, immunological and biological properties of the cell membrane. The oligosaccharide residues, as individuals carrying an unusually rich biological information, also play a crucial role in intercellular interactions. In the process of fertilization, the interaction of glycoprotein receptors and their ligands present on the surface of male and female gametes, determining the species-specific recognition and subsequent fertilization stages.

Auto sperm antigens: I. Characteristics Immunobiological

Sperm antigens may provoke iso-and autoimmune diseases. It is therefore important to identify and to isolate sperm autoantigens specifically reacting with the antibodies. This may not only have a learning value, but also be applied to control reproduction. This article describes the known autoantigens sperm present both on the surface and inside the cell. It also presents the results of studies describing attempts to sensitize and utility of laboratory animals to induce infertility.

The Editorial Board
Andrzej Łukaszyk - przewodniczący, Zofia Bielańska-Osuchowska, Szczepan Biliński, Mieczysław Chorąży, Aleksander Koj, Włodzimierz Korochoda, Leszek Kuźnicki, Aleksandra Stojałowska, Lech Wojtczak

Editorial address:
Katedra i Zakład Histologii i Embriologii Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu, ul. Święcickiego 6, 60-781 Poznań, tel. +48 61 8546453, fax. +48 61 8546440, email: mnowicki@ump.edu.pl

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