Celiac Disease Occurrence with Autoimmune Infertility in Infertile Men

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) among unexplained infertile men and determine the association of CD autoantibodies with antisperm autoantibodies (ASA) as diagnostic tool for Immunological Infertility. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixty six male patients were suffering from primary unexplained infertility were chosen to diagnose CD. Three autoantibodies (AD) were detected by performing enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), deamidated gliadin peptide/tissue transglutaminase (DGP/tTg-IgA), tTg-IgG, and IgA. Other two autoantibodies were detected by ASA, IgG and ASA-IgA to diagnose immunologic infertility. All serologic procedures and seminal fluid examinations were done on unexplained infertile men in Basrah Governorate, South of Iraq. Results: Out of 166 participants with unexplained infertility, 15 participants (9%) have been diagnosed as immunological infertile. Thirteen participants (7.8%) have silent CD. Only seven (4.2%) have both immunologic infertility and CD. Statistically significant association between CD and immunological infertility (OR)>20 with (95%CI) between 7.2-58. Significant correlation (p<0.05) was resulted between the five autoantibodies and grade A+B motility parameter of seminal fluid analysis. Conclusion: Screening for CD should be part of the diagnostic work-up of unexplained infertile men, and immunological infertility should be considered as additional AD associated with CD in infertile men.