Abstract
Backgrand and Objective: Varicocel is known as one of the most common cause of male infertility which occurs through different mechanisms. Immunologic reasons such as antisperm antibody (ASA) may have also a role in infertility. The aim of this study was to determine the antisperm antibody in semen and serum of male patients with varicocel before and after varicocel surgery.
Methods and materials: A cross sectional study was conducted on 65 varicocel patients who had indication for varicocel surgery, were candidate for assessment of ASA level in semen and serum pre and post surgery. The level of ASA was measured by direct and indirect SPERM.MAR-test. Over 15% ASA level was considered as positive result.
Results:.The semen analysis after surgery showed recovery regarding all three parameters including sperm count, motility and morphology, where changes in count and motility revealed significant (p<0.05) differences. Thirteen percent of patients before surgery showed positive level of ASA in serum and semen, whose ASA level three-months after surgery was positive 15 % in semem and 21% in serum. Serum level of ASA before and after surgery showed significant differences(P=0.031). In semen, the level of ASA did not show any differences (P=0.772). After surgery, semen parameters compared within positive and negative ASA patients showed only significant difference in motility (P= 0.035). Within patients with negative ASA before surgery 48 patients showed ASA level about 5-15% with no effect on semen parameters.
Conclusion: Based on these findings, it can be concluded that varicocelectomy may cause positive ASA level in serum of patients after surgery. However, in comparison with patients with negative ASA after surgery, no changes in the semen parameters can be seen except reduction in motility. Since varicocelectomy showed no effect on semen ASA, thus varicocelectomy has no unfavorable effects on male infertility.