A study of antispermatozoal antibodies in leprosy.

Sixty male patients with polar leprosy (33 lepromatous and 27 tuberculoid) were studied for the presence of antispermatozoal antibodies. Antibodies were detected by three different immunological tests. The sperm immobilization test was found to be the most sensitive. In lepromatous leprosy the incidence of these antibodies was higher than in tuberculoid cases. An increasing incidence of antispermatozoal antibodies was observed with the duration of the disease irrespective of the test employed for their detection. No correlation between the number of erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) reactions and the incidence of antibodies could be demonstrated.