A study aimed at identifying antisperm antibodies of the IgA class for the diagnosis of immunological causes of infertility in men.

Antisperm antibodies are specific immunoglobulins directed to various parts of the sperm. They are produced by the immune system in response to contact with sperm antigens in violation of immunological self-tolerance. In healthy men, the presence and normal functioning of the hematotesticular barrier protects the components of the ejaculate (semen) from the effects of your own immune system. When this barrier is violated as a result of bacterial and viral infectious processes, testicular cancer, varicocele, cryptorchidism, trauma, and surgical interventions, an autoimmune reaction is triggered with the formation of specific autoantibodies.

Antisperm antibodies of the IgA class are synthesized locally and function more on the surface, determining the state of barrier immunity. They can cover spermatozoa and be found in seminal fluid. The detection of a large number of antibodies of this class is of great clinical importance and indicates a violation of the hematotesticular barrier.