Increased circulating interleukin-17 levels in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, characterized by hypertension and proteinuria developing after the 20th week of gestation in a previously normotensive woman, is a severe complication of human pregnancy, with a worldwide incidence of 4.6 (2.7–8.2) % (Abalos et al., 2013). It is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, even in developed countries. Despite extensive research, the etiology and pathogenesis of preeclampsia are not completely understood. There is an increasing body of evidence that shows that an exaggerated maternal systemic inflammatory response to pregnancy with activation of both the innate and the adaptive arms of the immune system, and an imbalance between circulating angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors, plays a central role in the pathogenesis of the disease (Redman et al., 1999, Maynard et al., 2003, Saito et al., 2007, Molvarec et al., 2010a,b, Szarka et al., 2010).

Source: Journal of Reproductive Immunology - June 23, 2015 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Attila Molvarec, Ibolya Czegle, János Szijártó, János Rigó Source Type: research