Immunogenetics of human spermatozoa.

Experiments investigating inherent and acquired spermatozoal antigens antigens in common between spermatozoa and other organs and antigenic relations between human spermatozoa and somatic tissue-culture cells are reviewed. Several investigators have found ABO-blood group antigens in seminal plasma and the authors have found that these factors are acquired by the spermatozoon from the plasma. Thus they do not seem to be inherent. Other investigators have found that spermatozoa absorb the blood group antigens in the seminal plasma of secretors and laboratory reproduction of this phenomenon shows that the absorption begins in the 1st 5 minutes and takes about an hour. All of this work c onfirms the presence of acquired blood groups but the presence of the spermatozoas own blood group antigens of the ABO system is still unknown. Species-specific antigens also show both innate and acquired properties. Experiments have shown that spermatozoa-coating antigen ori ginates from the seminal vesicle. Human semen acquires a large contribution of prostatic fluid in the course of its flow and this prostatic fluid contains some antigens that are not found in human serum but are present in some organs of the body. The coating antigens are no t organ-specific. However along with the coating antigens human spermatozoa also possess cell-specific antigens characteristic of sperm only. Studies of various antigens including ABO blood factors CF-antibodies and species-specific antigens are briefly reviewed. The mechanisms of the agents are not entirely clear yet nor are the means by which antibodies react to these substances. An important question has been raised as to the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa carrying an excess or a deficiency of genetic material. There is evidence that the ovum does not select spermatozoa on the basis of genotype. Antibodies in the cervical mucus might prevent conception in some cases of antigenic incompatibility between parents. This might not occur when fertilization is accomplished by spermatozoa carrying either an excess or a deficiency of genetic material if this imbalance failed to cause an tigenic incompatibility.