SPERM ANTIBODIES IN SERA AND FOLLICULAR FLUIDS OF IVF AND GIFT PATIENTS

With a new SPAK-ELISA test system (Seratec GmbH) we determined sperm antibodies in sera of 60 IVF, 11 GIFT patients and their husbands. We evaluated sperm antibodies in sera of 12 IVF (20.0%), 3 GIFT (27%) and 3 males with normozoosperm parameters (4.2%). Compared to seronegative patients either the number of oocytes and their quality as the fertilisation- and transferrate during the IVF/GIFT procedure were not affected. No intact pregnancy occoured in cases of sperm antibodies in sera. In 16.6% of all seropositive IVF patients the detection of sperm antibodies in the follicular fluids correspond to sera. We recommend to remove autologeous serum for the oocyte culture in cases of sperm antobodies in serum of IVF patients.