CORRELATION BETWEEN SOME IMMUNE BIOMARKERS AND SERUM ANTISPERM ANTIBODIES IN MEN WITH SECONDARY INFERTILITY

Inflammatory and immunological mechanisms may lead to secondary male infertility by disturbing reproductive immune homeostasis and inducing antisperm autoimmunity. This case-control study was conducted to examine whether serum antisperm antibodies (ASA) correlate with some inflammatory biomarkers, such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in a group of men with secondary infertility. In total, 180 study participants were enrolled (90 men with secondary infertility and 90 apparently healthy fertile men as control subjects). Blood samples from the peripheral veins of all subjects were obtained, and serums ASA, IL-1beta and IL-6 were measured enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).