How the Immune System Affects Pregnancy & Fertility Chances скачать в хорошем качестве

How the Immune System Affects Pregnancy & Fertility Chances

The female immune system is a sophisticated guardian that can sometimes hinder pregnancy by treating sperm as foreign invaders. Upon entering the reproductive tract, sperm may provoke an immune response, leading to the formation of antisperm antibodies (ASA) that bind to sperm tails or heads. This binding impairs sperm motility, causes them to clump together (agglutination), activates immune cells to attack and destroy them, or alters cervical mucus into a hostile barrier that traps rather than channels sperm toward the egg. During ovulation, the body normally establishes immune tolerance—suppressing inflammatory responses and shifting toward a protective, permissive environment—but this delicate balance can be disrupted by chronic infections, autoimmune conditions, endometriosis-related inflammation, hormonal fluctuations, or other stressors. When the immune reaction becomes excessive, it contributes to immunological infertility, a recognized cause of unexplained or recurrent conception difficulties in both men and women. Diagnosis typically involves targeted testing, including antisperm antibody assays (such as the MAR test, immunobead test, or indirect tests on serum/cervical mucus), semen analysis for agglutination patterns, and evaluation of cervical mucus hostility. The encouraging news is that modern reproductive medicine provides highly effective solutions to bypass these immune barriers: intrauterine insemination (IUI) delivers prepared, washed sperm directly into the uterus, avoiding cervical mucus and antibody exposure; in vitro fertilization (IVF) fertilizes eggs in a controlled lab setting; and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) ensures fertilization even when sperm function is compromised. In select cases, short-term immunomodulation or other adjunct therapies may be explored. Immune-related infertility is real, scientifically validated, and—crucially—in most cases treatable, giving renewed hope to couples navigating fertility challenges. immune system pregnancy antisperm antibodies immune infertility fertility immune response antisperm antibodies test cervical mucus immune barrier immune tolerance ovulation IUI IVF immune infertility female infertility immune reproductive immune system sperm immune reaction infertility causes immune fertility treatment immune barriers