Development of hypertensive complications in oocyte donation pregnancies: from bench to bedside

Oocyte donation (OD) pregnancies show a higher risk for the development of hypertensive complications, including pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, compared to autologous naturally conceived and in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection pregnancies. Moreover, this special group of pregnancies is characterized by a higher level of fetal-maternal immunogenetic dissimilarity, reflected by the number of human leukocyte antigen mismatches. Therefore in this thesis, we aimed to investigate the association between fetal-maternal immunogenetic dissimilarity and the development of hypertensive complications in OD pregnancy. First, the immunological mechanisms underlying fetal-maternal tolerance in OD pregnancy were investigated. Second, the clinical side of OD pregnancy was highlighted, focusing on pregnancy complications and the perspectives of patients. Altogether, this thesis focused on these two main parts with the intention to improve OD pregnancy counseling and healthcare.<br>