Overview
- Editors:
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Walter K.H. Krause
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Klinik für Andrologie und Venerologie, Universitätsklinikum Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Rajesh K. Naz
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School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, U.S.A.
- Written by experienced and acknowledged experts
- First comprehensive overview of immune reactions inducing fertility disorders in both sexes
- Reader-friendly structure
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
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Table of contents (19 chapters)
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Sperm Antigens
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- Brett Nixon, R. John Aitken
Pages 3-12
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- Jagathpala Shetty, John C. Herr
Pages 13-31
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Antisperm Antibodies (ASA)
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- Monika Fijak, Sudhanshu Bhushan, Andreas Meinhardt
Pages 69-77
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- Maciej Kurpisz, Marzena Kamieniczna
Pages 79-90
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- Walter K. H. Krause, Michael Hertl
Pages 91-96
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- Marcelo Marconi, Wolfgang Weidner
Pages 97-109
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- Akiko Hasegawa, Koji Koyama
Pages 131-141
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The Clinical Impact of Sperm Antibodies
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Front Matter
Pages 142-142
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- Felice Francavilla, Arcangelo Barbonetti
Pages 145-153
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About this book
Infertility is defned as the inability to conceive after having unprotected intercourse for a year. Infertility is increasing worldwide and has various causes both in the male and the female partner. Immune reactions to sperm can contribute up to 2–30% of infertility. The sperm has both autoantigenic as well as isoantigenic potential, and is thus capable of p- ducing antisperm antibodies (ASAs) and sperm-reactive T cells in both infertile men and women. Also, over 75% vasectomized men produce autoantibodies to sperm that can cause a problem in regaining fertility even after successful re-anastomosis in vasovasostomy. Early claims regarding the incidence and involvement of ASAs in involuntary human infertility were probably overemphasized because of unreliable techniques and naivety concerning the complexity of the immune response and antigenic nature of the sperm cell. These factors, the lack of well-designed and controlled experimental studies, and the dearth of effective therapeutic modalities resulted in the confusion of the occurrence and importance of ASAs in human infertility. Consequently, evaluation of infertile couples for ASAs and their possible role in infertility was not considered a signifcant proposition. The development of more accurate assays and the discovery of mucosal immunity capable of responses independent of systemic immunity have caused inclusion of sperm cells and genital tract secretions in the analysis of ASAs.
Reviews
From the reviews:
“The authors direct their work to clinicians, scientists, trainees in reproductive biology, obstetricians/gynecologists, and urologists. … This highly specialized field is clearly depicted with the aid of graphs, tables, schematic diagrams, and exquisite photomicrographs. … This is a unique, comprehensive, and cogent update of basic and therapeutic advances in the field of immunoinfertility.” (Irvin H. Hirsch, Doody’s Review Service, December, 2009)
Editors and Affiliations
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Klinik für Andrologie und Venerologie, Universitätsklinikum Marburg, Marburg, Germany
Walter K.H. Krause
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School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, U.S.A.
Rajesh K. Naz
