Macroscopic sperm agglutination in
gelatin, sperm immobilization and tanned red cell hemagglutination tests could detect antispermatozoal
antibodies respectively in 41%, 37%, and 23% sera of 35
leprosy patients, including 5 female cases. Interestingly, all of the above tests were positive in one serum from a female patient with
borderline leprosy. Sperm
antibodies were detected in both lepromatous and tuberculoid forms of
leprosy by the above three technics and no significant difference was observed in their incidences among the two groups of patients. A three dimensional correlation was observed in 57% of 42 tests performed with 14 sera. Head-to head type of agglutination was the predominant feature of spermagglutination observed in the sera of these patients. In the control group, only 1 of 50 normal fertile male showed a positive spermagglutination test. Not one in this group showed positive sperm immobilization and tanned red cell hemagglutination tests. Antihuman
globulin consumption test, presumably a very sensitive test, was also employed to demonstrate sperm-specific
antibodies in the sera of these
leprosy patients. These
antibodies were adsorbed on the surface of the normal donor's spermatozoa when the latter were incubated with the patients sera. Antispermatozoal antibody could be demonstrated by this sensitive technic in the sera of two female patients. Moreover, antihuman
globulin was consumed more intensely by the antispermatozoal
antibodies present in the sera in the lepromatous than in the tuberculoid and
borderline leprosy groups.