Immunologic characteristics of preeclampsia, a comprehensive review

Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) remains a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Despite decades of intense research on the problem, there is no early pregnancy screening test to recognize those at risk. Recently, altered immune responses have been suspected to be involved in preeclampsia pathogenesis, which may involve the inflammatory context in which an immune response is mounted. In this review, the immunologic pathogenesis of the PE is reviewed in context of innate and adaptive immunity (both cellular, i.e., T and NK cells, and humoral immunity) in relation to thrombophilic conditions.