Increase of circulating inflammatory molecules in preeclampsia, an update

Abstract

Special hormonal and immunological changes are required for normal pregnancy continuation. To escape from rejection by the maternal immune system, pregnancy needs an optimum environment with the integration and the balance of immune factors. As an immunologically unique site that permits allogenic fetus to be tolerated by mother, the maternal-fetal interface has a vital role. Microorganisms may trigger innate immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface and this may have a significant impact on the success of pregnancy. While the presence of inflammatory markers are slightly increased in healthy pregnancies, their significant increase in preeclampsia suggests that the balance between the inflammatory and antiinflammatory mechanisms may be disrupted by a shift towards inflammation. Based on these immunological observations, we aimed to review the literature for the link between the inflammatory response and preeclampsia since its etiology has not yet been clarified.