Evaluation of the acrosome reaction using monoclonal antibodies against different acrosomal antigens ‐ comparison with the triple stain technique

The acrosome reaction of human sperm was evaluated in vitro with the aid of there monoclonal antibodies TüS-1, TüS-19 and TüS-20, which react with antigens in the anterior part of the acrosome. Data were compared with results obtained using the triple stain technique. Seminal smears were performed prior to, and following incubation for 5 and 24 h in Hams-F10 containing 3% human serum albumin. Using the triple stain technique, 15.2 +/- 7.1% of sperm exhibited acrosome activation after 5 h and 16.8 +/- 8.4% after incubation for 24 h. The corresponding values obtained using antibody TüS-1 were 12.9 +/- 5.8 and 13.2 +/- 2.2%, with TüS-19 10.1 +/- 3.8 and 10.8 +/- 1.4% and with TüS-20, 9.0 +/- 3.4 and 10.4 +/- 2.9%. When the same sperm smears were stained firstly with rose Bengal, and secondly with TüS-1 both methods stained the same cells and the same region of the cells, thus indicating that both methods stain the same substrate. Staining of the acrosome with monoclonal antibodies gives clearer results than the triple stain technique, and could be used in preference in future studies dealing with diagnosis of the acrosome reaction in vitro.