There is very data to suggest that sperm clumping has a significant effect on fertility. However, these cells are often non-motile spermatozoa that may have been either damage during transit through the testicle or traumatized following ejaculation. Other possible causes for semen clumping can include wide temperature fluctuations during transport (± 5º C), and bacterial contamination.
It appears is important to consider the degree of clumping when calculating sperm concentration even though there is very little evidence to suggest that clumping in semen affects fertility. However, clumped sperm often dissociate when diluted for spectrophotometer or hemacytometer counting and viable sperm numbers for semen doses may be grossly underestimated if the prevalence of sperm clumping is not initially accounted for. Occasionally you may see spermatozoa movement within these clumps of cell, however, there is not enough evidence that these cells dissociate after insemination. Therefore, regardless of the apparent motility in clumps, adjustments to whole sperm counts should be based on the occurrence of clumping in these ejaculates. Clumping may be associated with individual boars, boar and semen extender interactions, and management. The prevalence and impact that sperm cell clustering has on semen viability and fertility needs further investigation.
What is Sperm Agglutination?
Sperm agglutination refers to sperm “clumping” due to infection or the presence of sperm antibodies. Clumping inhibits sperm’s mobility and ability to fertilize a female’s eggs.
Causes of Sperm Agglutination
Sperm agglutination occurs when the body’s immune system recognizes its own sperm as foreign and deploys sperm antibodies to fight it. The antibodies attach themselves to the sperm forcing them to clump together. When the sperm are coated by the antibodies, their mobility becomes reduced and their receptors, which allow the sperm and egg to recognize each other, are...........