Infertility study calls for blood of fertile couples

Fertile couples happy to have a simple blood test could help researchers work out why some people have trouble getting pregnant.

The research, led by Dr Larry Chamley of Auckland University, is part of a study of the role of a recently identified sperm protein and anti-sperm antibodies in conception.

Dr Chamley said infertility from a variety of causes affected about one in six couples.

Researchers knew that about 10 per cent of infertile couples had antibodies in their blood that attacked sperm but some fertile couples also had them.

The blood tests would enable researchers to work out which anti-sperm antibodies affected fertility and which did not.

It would also allow them to investigate how the new sperm protein, identified by Dr Chamley and his colleague Dr Will Chiu, affected conception.

"At present we believe it [the protein] is important in enabling the sperm to attach to the egg to allow conception to take place and that the anti-sperm antibodies prevent that from happening," he said.

The researchers need blood from 200 fertile Auckland couples. Dr Chamley expected to find a small but significant number of infertile couples had anti-bodies against the sperm protein and that none of the fertile couples did.

If that was so, treatment options for infertile couples could be appropriately targeted, he said. For example, if a couple did not have the anti-bodies, cheaper, less invasive "lower tech" treatment methods could be used.

But if they did have the anti-sperm antibodies it was more appropriate to use a technique such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, which essentially involved injecting the sperm into the egg, straight away.

* Couples who want to take part in the study can call 373-7599, extn 89519 or 027-306-4121.