Vasectomy, anti-sperm antibodies and arterial damage
Wegmann, T.G.; Raghupathy, R.
Clinical and Investigative Medicine. Medecine Clinique et Experimentale 3(3-4): 211-212
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0147-958X PMID: 6784990 Document Number: 168356
Optimistic evaluation of the safety of vasectomy in spite of apparent absence of deleterious side effects may have been premature. Numerous studies in a variety of vasectomized animal species show that antisperm antibodies develop following vasectomy. In addition, 50% of vasectomized men have been found to have antisperm antibodies following vasectomy. By inference, this would mean a chronic source of antigen-antibody complexes which might lead to extensive vascular pathology, including endothelial damage with consequent acute vasculities and chronic atherosclerosis. A study by Alexander et al. of vasectomized monkeys suggests that the humoral immune response to antigens that often follow vasectomy could enhance diet-induced atherosclerosis. Long-term epidemiological studies of vasectomized men are needed to establish if vascular damage is a consequence of vasectomy. If so, there is an obvious need to eliminate the chronic source of antigen in those already vasectomized.