Post-vasectomy autoimmunity to protamines in relation to the formation of granulomas and sperm agglutinating antibodies.

Postvasectomy autoimmunity to protamines in relation to the formation of granulomas and sperm agglutinating antibodies was investigated. Human sera from 47 vasectomized men and from 15 rhesus monkeys (obtained at intervals of up to 2-4 years respectively after the operation) were studied by means of a comparative fluorescence study on swollen nuclei of somatic cells human and salmon spermatozoa. About 30% of the men developed antibodies to protamines and 4 out of 15 monkeys developed antibodies reacting with protamines. Generally when antibodies to the homologous protamines reached higher levels cross-reactions with salmon protamine could be demonstrated as well. No marked reactions could be detected with somatic nuclear antigens in the sera. It is concluded that the immunofluorescence test the agglutination tests and the clinical findings confirm the association between the development of immune responses to various sperm antigens and reveal a coherence of antiprotamine activity and granuloma formation at the site of the operation. It can be stated that vasectomized man and monkeys may develop autoantibodies to nuclear antigens called protamines.