Family Study on Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a syndrome of hypertension accompanied by proteinuria. It is a major pregnancy complication, associated with premature delivery, fetal growth restriction, abruptio placentae, and fetal death, as well as maternal morbidity and mortality. Although preeclampsia has been recognized for centuries, the etiology of this disorder remains unknown. Familial clustering of preeclampsia has long been identified, leading to the concept of a genetic basis for this syndrome. We propose a familial genetic study of preeclampsia. As such a study is often difficult to do, we plan to conduct a pilot study to test the feasibility, logistics and examine frequency of genetic polymorphism of certain genes in the target population. A total of 50 women who had preeclampsia during their first pregnancy will be identified through the Preeclampsia Foundation. Women who had chronic hypertension or diabetes prior to the first pregnancy will be excluded. We also will try to enroll their family members to this study. All subjects will be asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire and collect mouth wash samples. Women who reported having hypertension during pregnancy will be asked to sign a medical record release form. A copy of the medical record will be obtained to confirm the diagnosis of preeclampsia. DNA will be extracted from buccal cells. Frequency of polymorphisms for a number of candidate genes (e.g., HLA-G, AGT, eNOS, MTHFR, IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, Prothrombin, and Factor V Leiden) will be examined. Information and experience gained from this pilot study will be most valuable for use to plan a main study.