Placental disease and the maternal syndrome of preeclampsia: missing links?

Dionne Tannetta1, Ian Sargent

  • 1Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Oxford, Women's Centre Level 3, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK, OX3 9DU, dionne.tannetta@obs-gyn.ox.ac.uk.

Preeclampsia remains a significant obstetric risk worldwide. The pathophysiology of preeclampsia is complex, with multiple stages involving maladaptations in both placental and maternal physiology. The placenta links the pre-clinical stage of impaired remodeling of the uterine vasculature, occurring in early pregnancy, to the later clinical stages characterised by the maternal syndrome of hypertension and proteinuria. This review focuses on some of the recent candidates for the missing links in this process.

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