Prognosis of fertility of men with sperm agglutinins in the serum.

A retrospective study of 254 infertile men with serum sperm agglutination titers ranging from 4 to 1024 determined by the Kibrick agglutination test between 1954 and 1968 and reexamined in the 1970s is presented. 36 of the subjects had become fertile in the years following the testing, 30 of whom were normospermic. With titers of 32 or more, the probability of becoming fertile was considerably lower than with lower titers. It was confirmed that the longer infertility existed, the less probable was fertility to occur (p less than .01). The serum of 22 men who regained fertility was tested. 19 of the subjects showed no difference in titers between the first and last test. 2 of the 3 remaining fertile men had fathered 2 children each despite titers of 1024 in 1970. The 3rd subject's titer value decreased from 512 to 4 in 1970. It was concluded that sperm agglutinins are involved in the pathogenesis of male infertility.