Investigation of Seminal Plasma Hypersensitivity Reactions (AIBS GWI 0046)
Abstract
Since returning from the Gulf War (GW), veterans and/or their sexual partners have been experiencing burning, pain and swelling of the urogenital tract after exposure to semen. This phenomenon, referred to as Burning Semen Syndrome' (BSS), is similar to symptoms experienced by civilian women diagnosed with localized seminal plasma hypersensitivity (SPH). Desensitization of women with localized SPH using their sexual partner's seminal plasma proteins (SPP) has been successful suggesting an IgE-mediated mechanism. The objectives of this project were to identify the prevalence of BSS, to clinically evaluate GW couples with BSS, to determine if the underlying mechanism(s) of BSS is immunologic, infectious and/or toxicologic in nature and to identify potential treatment(s) for BSS. Among civilians with localized SPH, the male is typically asymptomatic and the female's symptoms are alleviated with a condom. Couples with BSS differ in that the male often has burning after contact with his semen and less than half of the females get relief with a condom. Furthermore, many GW couples exhibit features of GW syndrome which confounds their evaluation of BSS symptoms. Civilian and GW couples produce heterogeneous antibody responses. However, unlike civilian couples, GW couples have not improved symptomatically after SPP desensitization. Thus far, although BSS parallels the clinical symptoms manifested by civilians with localized SPH, these two disorders appear to be distinctly different.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA374098
Entities
People
- Jonathan A Bernstein
Organizations
- University of Cincinnati