Characteristics of anti-spermatozoal antibodies responsible for the shaking phenomenon with special regard to immunoglobulin class and antigen-reactive sites.

The interaction between spermatozoa and cervical mucus in the presence of antispermatozoal antibodies was studied in the SCMC-test and in the Miller-Kurzrok test. A high correlation was found between: 1. The "shaking phenomenon" in the SCMC-test; 2. sperm penetration into cervical mucus; 3. the sperm agglutination titre in seminal plasma and in cervical mucus. The authors performed investigations which indicate that antispermatozoal IgA in semen and in cervical mucus is probably responsible for the "Shaking phenomenon" in the SCMC-test and for the reduced penetration of spermatozoa into cervical mucus. Experiments with the Miller-Kurzrok test make it probable that antispermatozoal antibodies in semen, which are responsible for the "shaking phenomenon", are directed against the surface antigens of the sperm tails. Antispermatozoal antibodies in cervical mucus, which are responsible for the "shaking phenomenon", are probably directed against the surface antigens of the sperm acrosome.