Anti-Sperm Antibodies: Prevalence of Ig A and Ig G Positive Serology among Infertile Patients in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Introduction: Infertility in a couple is a stressful situation. Among the causes is the presence of antisperm antibodies that play a harmful role in reducing fertility and negatively influencing in vitro fertilization. The aim of this study is to determine their prevalence among infertile patients in Kisangani. Patients and methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study in health facilities in the city of Kisangani. Of the 1379 patients who consulted for conception, 311 were tested for antisperm antibodies by ELISA. Results: Of the 311 patients, 121 tested positive (38.91%). Women were significantly more likely to be positive (p-value = 0.013). Ig G was positive in 32.48% of patients and Ig A in 10.93%. Age was a significant predictor of the number of positive patients (p-value < 0.001). Compared to patients of ≤30 years of age, having 31 to 40 years of age or 41 years of age and older increased respectively 2 and 3 times the risk of being positive. In secondary infertility, women are twice as likely to be positive. Conclusion: The prevalence of antisperm antibodies is very high among infertile patients in Kisangani with predominance among women. Older age increases the risk of positivity. This test should therefore be integrated into infertility investigations as often as possible.

The burden of infertility in North-Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a High-Fertility Region: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The results of this study are in agreement with those of Bosenge et al [24] in Kisangani, who reported that 67% of infertile couples had secondary infertility and 33% primary infertility. These ndings are consistent with those from other Sub-Saharan African countries [16, 21,26,33]. The proportions of patients with primary and secondary infertility vary according to the aetiological particularities of each geographical region.…”

“…The high prevalence of pelvic in ammatory disease (PID) among women with secondary infertility in our study and in other sub-Saharan environments is mainly due to the high incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unsafe abortions and complications of childbirth, among other factors. PID can lead to infertility in several ways, including the production of antisperm antibodies, tubal obstruction and other complications [25,33].…”

“…The high prevalence of anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) observed in this study may be related to the high prevalence of infections found in our study. Indeed, previous research has demonstrated a correlation between infections and the production of anti-sperm antibodies [25,33].…”

“…Hormonal assay: Hormone dosage was mainly performed for women with irregular cycles, galactorrhea, amenorrhea and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) based on the revised Rotterdam criteria. The revised Rotterdam criteria include two or more of the following: oligomenorrhoea/anovulation, clinical or biochemical hirsutism, and the morphology of polycystic ovaries on ultrasonography (≥12 follicles in each ovary measuring 2 to 9mm in diameter) [32,33]. Hormonal assays carried out included antimülleran hormone (AMH), prolactin, and progesterone.…”