Association between gamete source, exposure and preeclampsia: A review of literature

Abstract

Preeclampsia complicates 3%-5% of pregnancies and is one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The pathologic mechanisms are well described but despite decades of research, the exact etiology of preeclampsia remains poorly understood. For years it was believed that the etiology of preeclampsia was the result of maternal factors, but recent evidence suggests that preeclampsia may be a couple specific disease where the interplay between both female and male factors plays an important role. Recent studies have suggested a complex etiologic mechanism that includes genetic imprinting, immune maladaptation, placental ischemia and generalized endothelial dysfunction. The immunological hypothesis suggests exaggerated maternal response against fetal antigens. While the role of maternal exposure to new paternal antigens in the development of preeclampsia was the initial focus of research in this area, studies examining pregnancy outcomes in pregnancies from donor oocytes provide intriguingly similar findings. The pregnancies that resulted from male or female donor gametes or donor embryos bring new insight into the role of immune response to new antigens in pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The primary goal of the current review is the role of exposure to new gametes on the development of preeclampsia. The objective was therefore to provide a review of current literature on the role of cohabitation length, semen exposure and gamete source in development of preeclampsia.

Keywords: Preeclampsia, Donor embryos, Donor oocytes, Donor sperm, Primipaternity

Core tip: Preeclampsia is a potentially life threatening complication of pregnancy, etiology remains unresolved. For decades it was believed to be a disease of mainly maternal origin with many pathologic mechanisms being described, however evidence suggests that an interplay between maternal and paternal factors may play an important role in pathogenesis. The aim on this publication therefore was to provide review of current literature on association of gamete source, exposure and the risk of preeclampsia.