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A review is given about the actual knowledge of sperm antigens and antibodies. For the detection of sperm antibodies a great number of tests exists with different value for the clinical work. The penetration tests are suitable for screening investigations. It has been established that in the last time the direct mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR test), the immunobead binding technique, and the panning procedure were involved in the searching of antibodies bounded on the sperm cells. For the evaluation of circulating sperm antibodies in serum, cervical mucus, and seminal plasma the agglutination tests, the immobilization test, and the indirect MAR test are recommendable. The determination of immunoglobulin class of sperm antibodies is important because the IgA globulins are more effective than IgG in these cases.

Meiosis examinations in semen have been aspired in 106 patients of an andrologic outpatient clinic. Diakinesis and metaphase could be represented in 15 per cent. No meiosis analysis was possible in 12 per cent of the males. The increase of the immature spermatozoa count from 8 per cent in case of normozoospermia to 55 per cent in oligozoospermia III. degree was highly significant. Better quality of meiosis representation correlated to the increasing number of spermatogenesis cells.

Serum samples from 70 patients with two or more early spontaneous abortions and, for comparison, sera from 20 healthy and fertile women were assayed by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of antibodies to sperms and genital organ antigens and for non-organ specific and organ specific antibodies. All sera were tested for thyreoglobulin antibodies by hemagglutination. The frequency of sperm antibodies and autoantibodies was significantly higher in patients with recurrent abortions than in the control group. There was no relation between the type or titer of antibodies and the clinical data of the patients.

The results obtained from penetration testing of cervical mucus of 60 sterile couples are reported in this paper. Also, the presence of spermatozoal antibodies in the serum of both the female and male probands was detected by means of the immunofluorescence method. --Neither in the females nor males was any relationship detectable between the occurrence of spermatozoal antibodies and the results of penetration testing. Yet, spermatozoal antibodies were found to occur much more often in probands with sterility of unelucidated origin.

Using a special chamber, the authors investigated the penetration capacity of spermatozoa of 120 sterile couples in both simple and crossed mucus penetration tests. Moreover, the glycolytic activity and the oxygen consumption of the ejaculates were biochemically determined in an artificial cervical mucus medium. A negative spermatozoan penetration was found to be associated with a markedly reduced aerobic glycolytic activity. It was for low-motility spermatozoa that no penetration was observed in cervical mucus, if the aerobic glycolysis was diminished, but the respiratory activity enhanced. Comparative investigations into the penetration capacity of spermatozoa in an artificial cervical mucus medium permit the detection of causes of male sterility, which exhibit metabolic regulation disturbances of spermatozoa.

A report is given on the spermatozoan and seminal plasma antigens and the possibilities of immunization of woman and man with these antigens. The occurence of sperm antibodies is demonstrable with more or less specific methods. The clinical importance of sperm antibodies for female fertility depends on quality of semen and many other factors. The local immune reactions to sperm and other reproductive antigens in the female genital tract has been inferred from the detection of higher titer of activity in tissue than was found in the circulation.