title: Cohort profile: the Finnish Genetics of Pre-eclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC).
abstract: The Finnish Genetics of Pre-eclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) Study was established to set up a nationwide clinical and DNA database on women with and without pre-eclampsia (PE), including their partners and infants, in order to identify genetic risk factors for PE.
  
  
  
  FINNPEC is a cross-sectional case-control cohort collected from 5 university hospitals in Finland during 2008-2011. A total of 1450 patients with PE and 1065 pregnant control women without PE (aged 18-47 years) were recruited. Altogether, there were 1377 full triads (625 PE and 752 control triads).
  
  
  
  The established cohort holds both clinical and genetic information of mother-infant-father triads representing a valuable resource for studying the pathogenesis of the disease. Furthermore, maternal biological samples (first and third trimester serum and placenta) will provide additional information for PE research. Until now, research has encompassed studies on candidate genes, Sanger and next-generation sequencing, and various studies on the placenta. FINNPEC has also participated in the InterPregGen study, which is the largest investigation on maternal and fetal genetic factors underlying PE until now.
  
  
  
  Ongoing studies focus on elucidating the role of immunogenetic and metabolic factors in PE. Data on morbidity and mortality will be collected from mothers and fathers through links to the nationwide health registers.
authors.affiliation: Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jääskeläinen
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki Finland.
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.affiliation: Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.|Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, and Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Molecular Neurology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kere
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kivinen
authors.affiliation: PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Department of Government Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Anneli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouta
authors.affiliation: Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki Finland.|Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Hannele
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laivuori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Pre-eclampsia; Pregnancy