DEVELOPMENT OF A SPERM ANTIBODY IMMUNOASSAY

A METHOD WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR DETECTION OF SPERM ANTIBODY IN HUMAN SERUM, USING THE ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY (ELISA) PROCEDURE. EARLIER METHODS OF ANTIBODY DETECTION HAVE SHOWN AN IMPORTANT DEGREE OF CORRELATION OF SPERM ANTIBODY WITH SOME CASES OF INFERTILITY, AND IT IS INCREASINGLY ACCEPTED THAT THIS ANTIBODY SHOULD BE SOUGHT INTHE DIAGNOSTIC WORK-UP OF THE INFERTILE COUPLE. INFERTILITYOCCURS IN 15-20% OF ALL COUPLES. IN PHASE I, WE WILL STUDY THE VARIABLES IN MICROTITER APPLICATION OF THE ELISA TECHNIQUE, USING A QUANTITATIVE READER FOR MEASUREMENTS. THE VARIABLES WILL INCLUDE THE USEOF WHOLE SPERM OR SPERM EXTRACTS, METHODS OF BINDING TO THE PLASTIC, ANTIGEN PREPARATION, CHOICE OF ENZYME-SUBSTRATE SYSTEM, AND CORRELATION OF ALL RESULTS WITH THE WELL-ESTABLISHED SPERM AGGLUTINATION TESTS. IN PHASE II, THESE VARIABLES WILL BE FURTHER DEVELOPED, AND THE METHODS WILL BE EXPLORED FOR VISUAL READING OF RESULTS, SO THAT AN EXPENSIVE MACHINE WILL NOT BE NEEDED. HENCE, THEKIT TO BE DEVELOPED WILL BE SIMPLE AND ECONOMICAL, AND IT SHOULD HAVE A LARGE MARKET IN THE OFFICES OF MANY DOCTORS AND CLINICS. A NUMBER OF RESEARCH LABORATORIES WILL ALSO BEINTERESTED, USING OUR MATERIALS EITHER QUALITATIVELY OR QUANTITATIVELY.