Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and the presence of anti-sperm antibodies

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between serum anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies and anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) in patients with gastroduodenal diseases caused by H. pylori, infertile patients positive for ASA and healthy fertile blood donors as controls. Serum ASA were studied by sperm agglutination tests, sperm immobilization test and ELISA against sperm antigens (ELISAsp). Serum IgG anti-H. pylori antibodies were detected by ELISA (ELISAHp). The tests revealed significantly higher incidence of ASA in patients with gastroduodenal diseases compared to the controls (P < 0.0001). The median levels of both types of antibodies were significantly higher in infertile patients than in patients with upper gastroduodenal diseases in all tests applied (sperm agglutination and immobilization tests P < 0.0001; ELISAsp P D 0.006; ELISAHp, P D 0.0008). Significant linear correlation was found between anti-H. pylori antibodies and ASA detected by sperm immobilization test (r D 0.613, P D 0.05) in the group of patients with gastroduodenal disease, as well as a weak linear correlation was established between anti-H. pylori antibodies and ASA in ELISAsp (r D 0.275, P D 0.0051) in the same group. These results suggest that H. pylori infection may play a role in the induction of ASA.

The Plausibility of Helicobacter Pylori and CagA Strains Related Infertility Among Males in Alexandria, Egypt

“…This may be attributed to the fact that most of these previous studies were carried out in developed countries with higher socioeconomic standard of residents and with better sanitary conditions which limit the spread of faecal oral infections in general. H. pylori prevalence rate among cases of idiopathic infertility in the present work was 79.7%; which is relatively high in comparison to previous reports as those of Collodel et al, (2010) (45%), (12) Figura et al, (2002) (7) and Dimitrova-Dikanarova et al, (2017), (8) ;(66.6%) each. A high prevalence rate of 79.4 % was recorded for H. pylori among cases with secondary infertility in the current work vs. 69.7% among those with primary infertility.…”

“…In previous surveys, it was reported that H. pylori was more prevalent among the infertile population and played a negative influence on sperm motility, viability and morphology; either through increasing the systemic and the semen levels of inflammatory cytokines or by promoting autoimmunity. (8) In the current work, H. pylori infection didn't significantly affect the quality of semen profile in seropositive cases in comparison to seronegative ones. Meanwhile CagA seropositivity significantly affected the seminal profile.…”

“…(12) Several studies carried out on infertile males emphasized the fact reported in the current work that H. pylori infection specially with CagA strains significantly reduced the semen quality in patients compared to uninfected cases of infertility. (8,12,50) Detection of anti-H. pylori and anti-CagA antibodies by earlier researchers in the seminal fluid of infected individuals and the existence of cross mimicry between H. pylori and sperm epitopes supported the hypothesis that immune reaction phenomena could take place in semen specimens, with the consequent injury of spermatozoa. (12,…”

“…H. pylori can directly or indirectly cause extragastric manifestations through the release of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, molecular mimicry and systemic immune response. (8,12) H. pylori infection, specially by strains expressing the CagA protein, has been proposed as a possible concomitant cause of hypofertility and sperm alterations because it has been associated with reduced motility and an increase in unviable sperms. (7) Serology is one of the first diagnostic methods for H. pylori infection.…”

“…. (7,8) H. pylori is a microaerophilic, gram-negative, spiralshaped bacterium that infects more than half of the world's I Original Article humans. (9) In developed countries, prevalence increases about 1% per year of age and reaches 70% in the seventh decade.…”