Immune Infertility

Walter Krause completed his medical studies at the University of Gießen, Germany, in 1965 and subsequently completed a residency in the Clinic of Dermatology at the university. He qualified as a Specialist in Dermatology in 1971 and completed his "Habilitation" in 1976. In 1984 Dr. Krause was appointed Head of the Department of Andrology at the Clinic of Dermatology, University of Marburg, and in 1996 the department became a Clinical Training Center of the European Academy of Andrology. In 2005 Dr. Krause was appointed Emeritus Professor. His particular interests have included diagnosis of male fertility disorders, diagnosis and treatment of male sexual disorders, male sexual endocrine dysfunctions, male immune infertility, and endocrine diseases and the skin. He has an extensive publication record, including 5 textbooks, 50 book chapters, and 379 journal articles, and he has delivered 450 oral presentations. Rajesh Kumar Naz is a Professor at West Virginia University, School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA, where he is Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The objective of his research has been to develop novel, nonsteroidal contraceptives with microbicidal properties and methods for the specific diagnosis of and treatment modalities for vaginal infections and infertility in humans. Dr. Naz has trained over 58 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. He is a member of 14 editorial boards of a number of journals. Dr. Naz has published more than 215 full-length peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals and edited/authored eight books in the fields of immunocontraception and infertility. In 2011 he edited the special issue of the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology on contraceptive vaccines.

Part I Sperm antigens: Proteomics of spermatozoa.- Sperm surface proteome.- Methods of Analysis of Sperm Antigens Related to Fertility.- Sperm functions influenced by immune reactions.- Part II Antisperm antibodies (ASA): The immune privilege of the testis.- Immune chemistry of ASA.- Sperm-specific T cells.- Site and risk factors of ASA production.- Biologic substrates containing ASA.- ASA in the female.- Sperm immobilising ASA.- Part III The clinical impact of sperm antibodies: Autoimmune infertility.- Tests for sperm antibodies.- Impact on fertility outcome.- Sperm antibodies and assisted reproduction.- Treatment of immune infertility.- Part IV Immune contraception: Immunization with Sperm Antigens to Induce Contraception.- Immune contraception in wildlife animals.- Experience from Clinical Trials with Fertility Control Vaccines.