title: Pre-eclampsia and the kidney.
abstract: Pre-eclampsia is a multisystem disorder that is unique to pregnancy, affecting at least 5% of all gravidas. The mainstay of this diagnosis is a combination of new-onset hypertension and proteinuria. The kidney deserves particular attention because of the physiologic as well as pathologic changes that can affect this vital organ in pregnancy. In fact, there is a major interplay between renal disease and pre-eclampsia. Proteinuria is universal to all cases of pre-eclampsia, yet some cases can progress to acute renal failure. Furthermore, it is well-established that the latter is more frequent in women with underlying renal disease. This chapter reviews the physiologic changes that the human kidney adapts during pregnancy, the impact of pre-eclampsia on the kidney and its function, and the risk of pre-eclampsia in women with chronic renal disease. Two groups that warrant special consideration are pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus and those with history of renal transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. fgm2107@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Fadi G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Mirza
authors.forename: Kirsten Lawrence
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cleary
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000503:physiopathology