Uric acid, endothelial dysfunction and pre-eclampsia: searching for a pathogenetic link.
BACKGROUND
Pre-eclampsia is strongly associated with hyperuricemia, and in some studies the increase in serum uric acid has been found to correlate with both maternal and fetal morbidity. The hyperuricemia is believed to result primarily from the decreased renal excretion that occurs as a consequence of the pre-eclampsia, and as such is widely viewed as a marker for pre-eclampsia as opposed to having a role in the pathogenesis.


OBJECTIVE
We present the hypothesis that hyperuricemia may also have a contributory role in the development of hypertension and renal disease in these patients, and we review recent experimental data that would support this hypothesis.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that studies addressing the role of uric acid in pre-eclampsia may provide new insights into both the pathogenesis and treatment of this condition.
Kang
Duk-Hee
DH
Division of Nephrology, Ewha Women's University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. dhkang@ewha.ac.kr
Finch
Jennifer
J
Nakagawa
Takahiko
T
Karumanchi
S Ananth
SA
Kanellis
John
J
Granger
Joey
J
Johnson
Richard J
RJ
D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000150:complications*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D014527:Uric Acid