Selection of an antibody-free population of spermatozoa from semen samples of men suffering from immunological infertility.

Ejaculates from infertile men with significant levels of antisperm antibodies were processed in vitro, in an attempt to prepare sub-populations of antibody-free spermatozoa. Semen samples were processed on a discontinuous Percoll gradient and the resultant sperm preparation was treated with immunobeads. Selection of antibody-free spermatozoa was achieved: less than 10% of the resulting spermatozoa showed binding to immunobeads after treatment in all cases investigated. The overnight survival of these antibody-free spermatozoa was comparable to, or better than, that of the untreated antibody-coated sample obtained from the Percoll gradient. The fertility potential of these treated spermatozoa is currently under investigation.