Preeclampsia Pathogenesis

Abstract

Preeclampsia is usually defined as new-onset hypertension and proteinuria diagnosed at 20th gestational week or after. Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal and infant mortality worldwide. It is important to clarify its pathogenesis for its treatment and prevention. This chapter summarized some theories suggested to explain the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The pathogenesis of preeclampsia has not yet been fully clarified and it remains a disease of theories. Furthermore, as it is a human-specific disease, the lack of one-on-one animal modeling and many other factors contribute to poor understanding of the disease pathophysiology. For this reason, continuous efforts have been made and new theories have been put forth to explain the disease pathophysiology. New data have revealed the unknowns and guide our understanding about the mechanism of the multifactorial pathogenesis of the disease. Our hope is that the accumulation of knowledge on the subject will clarify the pathogenesis of the disease and make us reach a definitive conclusion in the treatment and prevention of the disease in the near future. © 2020 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.