Pathogenesis of preeclampsia: the genetic component

[caryn]

From an epidemiological point of view, many studies have shown that PE is a disease with a strong familiar predisposition, which also varies according to geographical, socioeconomic, and racial features, and this information can be used in the prediction process. Large amounts of research have shown a genetic association with a multifactorial polygenic inheritance in the development of this disease.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22175024

Yep, my sister and I both had it, and I've a strong family history of chronic hypertension. DH's brother fathered a child with severe IUGR, so his family makes weird placentas. The combination? Not so awesome.

[kerisue]

but then again no one in my entire family has ever had it as far back as we can determine which is several generations. fob's side either. (though there is general hypertension in the family)

[cmccaffrey]

same with my family history, Kerisue!

[caryn]

"multifactorial polygenic inheritance" means you have to hit on a combination of genes in the mother and a combination of genes in the father. So say I had to have the genes for chronic hypertension plus an immune mediated condition, and DH had to have the genes for a slightly deranged implantation, and when you put all of those together, the phenotype expresses preeclampsia.

[MissingMolly]

So is this sort of like "the perfect storm" for preeclampsia? It seems very much to be a dynamic reaction between the two systems (maternal and paternal). Does that mean that, on some deep cellular level, my husband and I don't "like" each other?

[caryn]

On a deep cellular level none of us like each other. Everyone else is foreign and the immune system says ATTACK!

The odd thing about pregnancy is that his genes somehow manage to instruct us to dial that down, and we cooperate with him until we don't, any more. Which is what triggers labor. Except if we decide to trigger labor and get the kid out, but the placenta fights back because it isn't done cooking yet...