Patient's question:
What are the reactions of immunological infertility? I haven't been pregnant for a year, and all my tests are normal, except for one positive antibody.Doctor's answer:
First, the production of female anti-sperm antibodies: Normal semen contains a large amount of prostaglandin E and a glycoprotein that have immunosuppressive effects, while seminal precipitating hormone also has anti-complement activity. These immunosuppressive factors can normally inhibit the activity of female immune cells. However, if a woman is exposed to sperm for a long time, it can lead to the production of antibodies, causing infertility.Second, the production of male anti-sperm antibodies: Sperm is likely an autoantigen, but it only appears during puberty and is recognized by the immune system as an object of rejection, which prevents the blood-testis barrier from contacting the sperm antibodies with the body's immune system, avoiding an immune response. However, if the blood-testis barrier develops abnormally or is damaged, such as due to surgery, trauma, or inflammation, it can cause sperm leakage or be phagocytosed by phagocytes, leading to the production of anti-sperm antibodies and causing female immune infertility.