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Biomedical subjects

L Mettler

Publications and source records attributed to L Mettler.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Disc-electrophoretic protein pattern of cervical mucus in cases of humoral sensitization against spermatozoa.

Midcycle cerevical mucus samples from 20 fertile women with negative, and from 6 infertile women with positive serum-sperm agglutinating activity were subjected to a qualitative protein analysis by the Ouchterlony-technique, to polyacrylamide (PAA) discelectrophoresis and after purification on spermatozoa they were also run against rabbit antihuman serum in the Laurell immuno-electrophoretic technique. By the Ouchterlony method the main serum protein fractions were shown to occur also in cervical mucus. No significant differences could be found in the protein pattern of samples from fertile and infertile females as detected by polyacrylamide (PAA) electrophoresis. In all samples a split protein fraction corresponding to serum albumin and a band preceding the protein fraction corresponding to serum preablumin were observed. In 2 samples from infertile females it could be demonstrated that immunoglobulins occurring in the cervical mucus were directed towards antigenic sperm components.

Cervix Mucus↗
PubMed1975

Solubilization of human spermatozoa and antigen isolation responsable for agglutination.

Spermatozoa were solubilized by cleaving the disulphide bonds with dithioerythrol and protecting the weak antigen responsable for spermagglutination with Na-dodecylsulphate. The fact that spermagglutinating activity could still be absorbed from female sera by solubilized spermatozoa indicates that the antigen has not been destroyed by the applied procedure. By gelelectrophoresis four fractions could be separated. Antibody fraction from four sera and three cervical mucus samples of women with humoral spermagglutinating antibody--activity were used as indicator antbodies in crossed immunoelectrophoresis of solubilized spermatozoa. As negative controls served four sera and two cervical mucus samples. A precipitation line could only be detected in positive cases. The second spermfraction of gel-electrophoresis was found to contain the antigen reacting with the known antibodies from the applied FD-positive sera and cervical mucus samples.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1975

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor in female sterility.

Cellular sensitization against spermatozoa as antigen was studied in 21 fertile and 41 infertile female subjects. In addition, 20 virgin girls and a group of 11 women presenting positive spermagglutinating (in equal 8) and immobilizing (n equal 3) antibodies were investigated. Cellular sensitization was expressed in terms of macrophage migration inhibitory activity (MIF-reaction). For this screening program washed and pooled spermatozoa (WPS) and sonicated spermatozoa solutions (sss) were used as antigens. In 52 to 72 per cent of all cases, including primary and secondary sterility of unexplained cause, a positive MIF-reaction was encountered. Women with humoral sperm antibodies always revealed a cellular sensitization. Only the group of virgin girls demonstrated in no case a positive MIF-reaction. The need for the identification of the specific fertility-diminishing antigens is stressed as the results indicate a cellular sensitization in all cases that had sperm contact.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Determination of sperm-antibodies in sera of sterile women by affinity-chromatography (affinity-chromatography of sperm-antibodies).

The total amount of humoral sperm antibody protein is determined following its isolation by affinity-chromatography on spermatozoa. Serum proteins are eluted by Sorensen phosphate buffer. Antibodies attached to spermatozoa suspended in Sephadex G 75 columns resist elution by Sorensen buffer. They can be quantitatively washed out by 8 ml Tris HCl-buffer pH 8,9 and be determined as proteins by the Folin-Ciocalteu method.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1975

Difficulty of obtaining reproducibility in the Franklin and Dukes test for the detection of sperm-agglutinating antibodies in human sera.

The Franklin and Dukes (FD) test is used as a screening test for the determination of sperm-agglutinating antibodies and as a proof of therapeutic effects in cases of infertility, but various parameters of the FD test remain unclear and the application of different techniques has revealed highly different results. To test the statistical evidence for the FD technique, conditions regarded as optimal prerequisites were applied: a sperm concentration of 20 times 10(6)/ml was produced with Baker's buffer and serum dilutions were made with Baker's buffer, starting at 1:4. Only the standard deviation of parallel tests with one serum sample and one semen sample on the same day was found to be within an acceptable range. Using ejaculates of the same donor and the same serum sample on different days gave results that were not reproducible. The FD test should not, therefore, be used for quantification of sperm-agglutination antibodies except for a comparison in one test with one semen sample on the same day. Although the FD test only allowed a qualitative evaluation of sperm-agglutinating antibodies the % sperm agglutination was more informative than agglutination titres. For quantification of sperm-agglutinating antibodies, the FD test should be replaced by other techniques.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1975

Crossed immunoelectrophoresis of sperm antibodies in human serum and cervical mucus.

Sperm agglutinating antibodies are purified from sera and cervical mucus of women with unexplained causes of infertility which were positive in the FD-test. Fractionation was performed by affinity-chromatography in a batch device and the sperm agglutinating activity controlled by the Franklin and Dukes test. This sperm antibody fraction was determined via crossed immunoelectrophoresis by migration into an anti-human serum containing gel. In all cases only one big peak resulted. The negative control serum and mucus samples demonstrated no precipitation peaks. By absorption studies it was shown that the sperm agglutinating antibodies in sera were IgM and in cervical mucus IgA. The concentration of IgA and IgM was determined by comparison with standard human IgA and IgM. Thus only one serum- and one cervical mucus antibody seems to be responsible for agglutination. The number of experiments, however, is still too small for general conclusions. This method is easily and quickly performed and can therefore be used as a routine method for the determination of sperm agglutinating antibodies. Its application for sperm-immobilizing or cytotoxic activity remains to be tested.

Antibodies↗