Incidence of anti-zona pellucida and anti-sperm antibodies among infertile Jordanian women and its relation to mycoplasmas

Anti-zona-pellucida autoantibodies [AZP-Ab] and anti-sperm isoantibodies [ASA] were assessed in the cervical secretions from 73 infertile Jordanian women and 41 fertile control women using latex agglutination. Significantly more women with infertility had AZP-Ab and ASA [16.4% and 8.2% respectively] compared with fertile women [9.4% and 0%], with no relation to the etiology of infertility. Using polymerase chain reaction Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were detected in cervical secretions of 19.2% and 13.7% of infertile women, and the presence of mycoplasma was significantly correlated with the presence of AZP-Ab and ASA

Role of mycoplasma in male infertility

We trace the evidence-based evolution of ureaplasmal male infertility as an established clinical entity. We review epidemiology data, possible pathogenic mechanisms of Ureaplasma urealyficurn in infertility, and the results of isolation studies and therapeutic trials. Future developments are outlined