Antisperm antibodies

The presence of antisperm antibodies on the surface of spermatozoa is known to involved in 10% of cases of reduced male fertility.

Effectively, if antisperm antibodies are present on the surface of spermatozoa, they can cause a clogging event that precludes the spermatozoa cellular membrane from interacting with the oocyte’s zona pellucida therby causing a blockage of fertilization. In addition, these antibodies can cause spermatozoa to agglutinate with one another which is thought to significantly reduce the number of spermatozoa reaching the fertilization site inside the Fallopian tubes. This is susceptible of delaying conception.

The presence of these antisperm antibodies can be easily detected as a spermogram assay is perfomed because the test only requires a little amount of sperm. It is indeed a very simple assay based on the following principle (summarized). Spermatozoa are observed through the microscope as they swim into a solution containing microscopic beads. These beads have affinity for antibodies and thus, when spermatozoa bind to the beads, they are considered as bearing antisperm antibodies and they are considered as a positive hit.

Since the presence of antisperm antibodies reduces the efficiency of artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization procedures, knowing whether your spermatozoa are positive for antisperm antibodies is crucial before stepping into these procedures.

Obtaining complete set of information concerning your sperm right from the start allows for better and easier decision making before conceiving. Ask your doctor to prescribe a complete sperm analysis including antisperm antibodies detection and sperm DNA fragmentation analysis.

The cost of antisperm antibodies detection is 125$.
A $50 fee is applicable for cancellations that occur less than 4 days before the appointment.