Immunological studies on pre-eclampsia in Nigerian women

Circulating immune complexes, C3b inactivator, C3 activator, C3c, C4 and C-reactive protein were assayed in 49 patients with pre-eclampsia and 35 apparently healthy pregnant Nigerian women. Pre-eclamptic women had significantly higher mean levels of circulating immune complexes, C3c and C-reactive protein. C3 activator mean level was also higher in pre-eclampsia than in normal pregnancy, C3b inactivator concentrations were greatly depressed and the mean level was also significantly lower in the pre-eclamptic group (P less than 0.001). However, C4 mean levels were the same in both groups. From the results, it is postulated that in pre-eclamptic conditions the significantly depressed levels of C3b inactivator could predispose to the persistence of deposited immune complexes in the kidneys, resulting in tissue damage. The findings also generally indicate an immunologic pathogenesis for the renal lesions in pre-eclampsia in Nigerian women.