Preeclampsia: a multifactorial disease resulting from the interaction of the feto-maternal HLA genotype and HCMV infection.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the possible influence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mother-child genotypes and human cytomegalo virus (HCMV) presence on the development of preeclampsia.


METHODS
One hundred and four DNA samples from mothers with preeclampsia, mothers with a normal history of pregnancies and their neonates were tested by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-SSOP) for HLA-A, -G, -DRB1, -DQA1, -DQB1 alleles. The HCMV sequences were analyzed using a PCR-SSOP method and the four primers described by Chou (Chou S: J Clin Microb 1992; 30:2307-2310).


RESULTS
Compared with their respective controls, a significant increase of DRB1*07 among neonates (P(c) = 0.05) and of DRB1*07 and/or DRB1*06 among pre-eclamptic mothers (P(c) = 0.003, RR = 8,5) was found. When HCMV sequences were detected in pre-eclamptic mothers carrying those phenotypes the RR increased up to 40. Furthermore, the fetal inheritance of a maternal HLA-G*0104 increased the risk for the appearance of the disease (RR = 30; P = 0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the presence of alleles HLA-G*0104, DRB1*07/06, HCMV sequences and the fetal inheritance of maternal G*0104, should be considered as conditioning factors for the development of preeclampsia.
Carreiras
M
M
Escuela de Bioanalisis, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas.
Montagnani
S
S
Layrisse
Z
Z
D000483:Alleles; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*
D006680:HLA Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I