The relationship between inflammation and preeclampsia

Excessive inflammation may cause pre- eclampsia. In this review,the arguments of the role of inflammation as the cause of preeclampsia are discussed. Although both angiogenic imbalance and systemic inflammation are implicated in preeclampsia,the absence of inflammatory markers with preeclampsia challenges the concept that excessive inflammation is the cause of preeclampsia. The dose- response relationship has not been proven between pro- inflammatory cytokines and preeclampsia. Besides,treatment with high doses of corticosteroid fails to improve maternal outcome in preeclampsia,despite suppressing inflammation. It has been proposed that excess activation of both classical and alternative complement pathway has been seen in preeclampsia. Defective regulation of the complement system allows for the excessive complement activation that leads to placental damage, abnormal placental development, generalized endothelial activation, and the release of antiangiogenic factors. Inflammation may enhance the pathology induced by the imbalance in the angiogenic factors,but does not by itself cause preeclampsia. Althought excessive inflammation has been seen in preeclampsia,inflammation may be not the major cause of preeclampsia.