Is the Lack of Prior Exposure to Sperm Antigens Associated With Worse Neonatal and Maternal Outcomes?

Several studies investigated the role of paternal factors in the development of preeclampsia; in particular, they analyzed the correlation between the vaginal exposure to male partner's semen and the incidence of preeclampsia, observing both a reduced risk of preeclampsia after prolonged exposure to the paternal seminal fluid and a higher incidence of preeclampsia in pregnancies conceived with a new father or with sperm donor. This leads to the hypothesis of an immunological role for sperm in inducing a mucosal immune tolerance-like status at the level of the uterus that could be critical in the subsequent implantation. Previous studies also examined the neonatal outcomes from pregnancies obtained from surgically retrieved sperm, either epididymal or testicular sperm, and underlined that there is not overall increased risk in neonatal outcomes. Our study aims at having a complete view on paternal, maternal and neonatal information and a follow up, that allows to correct possible confounders and to analyze a wider group of outcomes.