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Semen characteristics were studied in 96 men from an in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer programme. Along with the routine semen analysis, the presence of sperm antibodies in seminal plasma was measured by an ELISA technique. Antibodies to spermatozoa (IgA and/or IgG) were present in 19 cases and 15 of these (78.95%) had abnormally high viscosity, often associated with a high percentage of particulate debris and an increased number of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa.

Thus, our results have indicated that subclinical embryonic loss may account for some of the discrepancy observed between the apparently normal ovulation and the pregnancy rates in women treated with clomiphene citrate.

The presence of immunosuppressive early pregnancy factor (EPF) in the maternal serum has so far been associated with gestation. Its presence in the serum of women with gestational trophoblastic tumors was investigated. The results indicate that while EPF activity was detected in the serum of women with choriocarcinoma, no such activity was detected in the serum of women with hydatidiform mole, leading to the novel use of EPF as a marker to distinguish these two clinical situations. Results of the experiments also suggest that EPF moiety present in the maternal serum during pregnancy may be of different molecular entity than that present in the serum of women with choriocarcinoma.