Severe preeclampsia associated with coinheritance of factor V Leiden mutation and protein S deficiency.
BACKGROUND
Inherited thrombophilic disorders are associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy. Preliminary research suggests that these disorders might also increase the risk for preeclampsia.


METHODS
A 29-year-old primigravida developed severe, early onset preeclampsia and postpartum deep venous thrombosis. Subsequent testing revealed coinheritance of the factor V Leiden mutation and protein S deficiency. Heparin prophylaxis was administered during two subsequent pregnancies without recurrence of either preeclampsia or venous thromboembolism.


CONCLUSIONS
Our patient's inherited thrombophilia may have played a role in the development of preeclampsia, and anticoagulation during subsequent pregnancies may have prevented preeclampsia recurrence. An association between inherited thrombophilic disorders and preeclampsia is biologically plausible.
Kahn
S R
SR
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies and the Division of General Internal Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. susank@epid.jgh.mcgill.ca
D000328:Adult; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy; D018455:Protein S Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V