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Circulating antispermatozoa immunoglobulin G in men after vasectomy
THERIOGENOLOGY
4 of 11 pairs did not and varied copulatory positions: copulate, while 7 females from nine pairs copulated regularly: in 7 infrequently copulating pairs, the females were regularly cycling and copulated regularly with other Females and males used either the dorsal-ventral, males. or the ventral-ventral position, or both, in a number of variations. Since in this species the female propositions to the male for intercourse, the female success ratio and the incidence of ejaculations could be correlated with Males rarely copulated and never labial tumescence. ejaculated with females in the detumescent condition, although the females never cease entirely to proposition. Their highest success rate for copulation and ejaculation This seem to clearly coincides with maximal tumescence. indicate that hormones play a more important role in the regulation of sexual behavior in the gorilla than one would have predicted on the basis of the advanced,,posiW. Jochle tion of this species in phylogeny. Quinlivan, W. L. G., H. Sullivan, and N. Olsher: Circulating antispermatozoa immunoglobulin G in men after vasectomy. Fertility and Sterility, 26: 224, 1975. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92664. In man, surgical means for anticonception enjoy a great popularity. To both tubal dissection and vasectomy the stigma of irreversibility is attached. In the case of vasectomy, this may in part result not only from the difficulty to restore fully patent and contractile vasa deferentia, but from the formation of circulating antibodies against spermatozoa after vasectomy. In this study, sera of 10 healthy men vasectomized 14 to 27 months previously were examined for the occurrence of factors agglutinating and/or immobilizing spermatozoa, or for exerting passive hemagglutination, and for the determination whether irmnunoglobulin G from these samples acts similarly. Fresh donor semen, exposed to sera of nonvasectomized men, showed a motility of 74*1.3%, no sperma agglutination or passive hemagglutination; while sera from vasectomized individuals reduced motility to 28+5-l%, caused 20 to 40% agglutination and 10 to 19% passive hemagglutination. While IgG from nonvasectomized men was inactive, IgG from vasectomized men caused a reduction of sperm motility to only 2824.7% (saline controls showed a 7121.8% motility) and exerted the same agglutination and about twice the passive hemagglutination effects as the whole sera did. This strongly indicates that an antibody, IgG against semen is produced after vasectomy in men. Nothing is known if these
DECEMBER1975
VOL.4
NO.6
217
THERIOGENOLOGY
antibodies can effect other cells in the body and no immunological reactions due to spermatozoa antibodies have been reported yet in vasectomized men. The question of autoimmunization as a possible Comment: cause for adverse reactions in vasectomized men is of great importance and much debate. The existence of vasectomized teaser animals (bulls and rams) in animal industry represents an untapped resevoir for research and information, unrecognized by human andrologists and immunologists, and not yet appreciated by theriogenoloIts evaluation for the frequency and intensity gists. of antibody formation against spermatozoa, and other tissues of the animal's organism, i.e. the existence of progressive autoimmunization, could be an important conW. Jkhle tribution and should be encouraged.
218
DECEMBER
1975 VOL. 4 NO. 6
4 of 11 pairs did not and varied copulatory positions: copulate, while 7 females from nine pairs copulated regularly: in 7 infrequently copulating pairs, the females were regularly cycling and copulated regularly with other Females and males used either the dorsal-ventral, males. or the ventral-ventral position, or both, in a number of variations. Since in this species the female propositions to the male for intercourse, the female success ratio and the incidence of ejaculations could be correlated with Males rarely copulated and never labial tumescence. ejaculated with females in the detumescent condition, although the females never cease entirely to proposition. Their highest success rate for copulation and ejaculation This seem to clearly coincides with maximal tumescence. indicate that hormones play a more important role in the regulation of sexual behavior in the gorilla than one would have predicted on the basis of the advanced,,posiW. Jochle tion of this species in phylogeny. Quinlivan, W. L. G., H. Sullivan, and N. Olsher: Circulating antispermatozoa immunoglobulin G in men after vasectomy. Fertility and Sterility, 26: 224, 1975. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92664. In man, surgical means for anticonception enjoy a great popularity. To both tubal dissection and vasectomy the stigma of irreversibility is attached. In the case of vasectomy, this may in part result not only from the difficulty to restore fully patent and contractile vasa deferentia, but from the formation of circulating antibodies against spermatozoa after vasectomy. In this study, sera of 10 healthy men vasectomized 14 to 27 months previously were examined for the occurrence of factors agglutinating and/or immobilizing spermatozoa, or for exerting passive hemagglutination, and for the determination whether irmnunoglobulin G from these samples acts similarly. Fresh donor semen, exposed to sera of nonvasectomized men, showed a motility of 74*1.3%, no sperma agglutination or passive hemagglutination; while sera from vasectomized individuals reduced motility to 28+5-l%, caused 20 to 40% agglutination and 10 to 19% passive hemagglutination. While IgG from nonvasectomized men was inactive, IgG from vasectomized men caused a reduction of sperm motility to only 2824.7% (saline controls showed a 7121.8% motility) and exerted the same agglutination and about twice the passive hemagglutination effects as the whole sera did. This strongly indicates that an antibody, IgG against semen is produced after vasectomy in men. Nothing is known if these
DECEMBER1975
VOL.4
NO.6
217
THERIOGENOLOGY
antibodies can effect other cells in the body and no immunological reactions due to spermatozoa antibodies have been reported yet in vasectomized men. The question of autoimmunization as a possible Comment: cause for adverse reactions in vasectomized men is of great importance and much debate. The existence of vasectomized teaser animals (bulls and rams) in animal industry represents an untapped resevoir for research and information, unrecognized by human andrologists and immunologists, and not yet appreciated by theriogenoloIts evaluation for the frequency and intensity gists. of antibody formation against spermatozoa, and other tissues of the animal's organism, i.e. the existence of progressive autoimmunization, could be an important conW. Jkhle tribution and should be encouraged.
218
DECEMBER
1975 VOL. 4 NO. 6