Vascular endothelium in the syndrome preeclamptic

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder characterized by maternal hypertension and proteinuria. This syndrome is the major cause of fetal and
maternal morbidity and mortality. Although
pathophysiology is not completely decrypted, it has
been shown that during a preeclamptic pregnancy
the placenta releases some factors in the maternal
circulation which are responsible for a systemic
endothelial dysfunction. Here we examine recent
works showing the central role of endothelium in
the onset of the maternal syndrome of preeclampsia. We analyze deeply recent genome-wide studies
on transcriptomic modifications of endothelial
cells exposed to preeclamptic plasma. Indeed,
preeclamptic plasma is enriched of factors able to
impact the vascular endothelium and modify the
expression of endothelial genes involved in vessels
contractility, oxidative stress, apoptosis and cellular
proliferation. Finally we discuss the impact of
endothelial dysfunction on the future maternal and
children health, and in particular the risks of long
term cardiovascular diseases. Characterization of
modifications of vascular endothelium during
preeclampsia can help to orient future research on
therapeutic and diagnostic tools to improve disease
management and long term consequences.