Preeclampsia--a placenta developmental biology perspective.

There are abundant theories in the scientific literature that propose a range of pathophysiological pathways for preeclampsia. In this review we discuss some of the contributions made to this field from the perspective of a placental developmental biology laboratory. We discuss an underlying immune component of preeclampsia associated with expression of HLA-G and also a beneficial function of decidual NK cells. We conclude by summarizing newer findings regarding the anti-angiogenic expression of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1) and its role in the development of preeclampsia.