Detection of anti-testicular antibodies among infertile males using indirect immunofluorescent technique

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: The antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are unwanted molecules which bind and destroy certain structures within the nucleus. Immunofluorescence is a powerful technique that utilizes fluorescent-labeled antibodies to detect specific target antigens. The aim of this study was to detect the anti-testicular antibody among infertile males in Baghdad city and determine the most common type of infertility.   Materials and Methods: The study involved 73 male (53 infertile and 20 non-infertile) volunteers, at Kamal Al-Samarrai Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Serum collected from the study subjects was tested for steroid-cell antibodies (STC-Ab), anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-testicular antibodies (ATCA) by Indirect Immunofluorescence assay (IIFA). Data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using the SPSS program.   Results: In the current study 52.9% of infertile men tested positive for testicular antibodies compared to the control group. The highest rate of testicular cell antibodies was observed in the serum of infertile patients aged between 30-39 years and the lowest in patients aged 50-59 years. The marriage duration among those showing the highest percentage of antibodies against testicular cells was 1-10 years. Study for the association of male infertility type to those positive for ATCA showed almost all (85.7%) patients with necrozoospermia to be positive for ATCA. This was followed by males with azoospermia (50%) and oligospermia (46.9%). The patients were negative for Addison’s disease while a few (28.6%) were positive for lupus erythematosus.