Antisperm antibody (ASA)

Antisperm antibodies (ASA) are immunoglobulins—proteins produced by the immune system—that specifically bind to antigens on the surface of human sperm[1][7][9]. These antibodies can be of the IgG, IgA, or IgM class and are produced in response to the immune system mistaking sperm as foreign to the body, often after disruption of immunological barriers in the male (due to trauma, surgery, infections, or mucosal damage)[1][3][9]. In rare cases, women may also generate ASA, especially following inflammation or trauma in the reproductive tract[1][4]. ASA can impair fertility by binding to sperm and reducing their motility, interfering with their ability to penetrate cervical mucus, bind to the egg, or complete fertilization[3][7]. ASA are not molecular drug targets (like enzymes or receptors) but are clinically relevant as autoantibody markers in the diagnosis and management of immunological infertility[9]. Laboratory tests can detect antisperm antibodies in semen, blood, or cervical mucus using immunological assays such as the immunobead test or the mixed antiglobulin reaction[2][8][9]. No direct drugs or therapeutic agents target ASA themselves, but treatment of ASA-associated infertility sometimes involves immune suppression or assisted reproductive techniques (e.g., intrauterine insemination, IVF)[2][3][8]. Because ASA are not individual genes, proteins, or receptors, but rather a heterogeneous class of pathogenic antibodies, they are not considered classic therapeutic targets themselves.

Other names

Antisperm antibodiesAnti-sperm antibodyASAAntisperm autoantibodyAntisperm immunoglobulin