Genetic Factors in the Etiology of Preeclampsia/Eclampsia

Case reports describing familial clustering of eclampsia were first reported in the late 1800s, but Chesley was one of the first to perform a true genetic analysis. Chesley’s first edition text summarized his early investigations in hundreds of mother-daughter pairs. He reported that among daughters of women with eclampsia, 26% had preeclampsia in their first pregnancies. By contrast, the daughters-in-law control group had only an 8% rate of first-pregnancy preeclampsia. This comprehensively updated chapter will “fast-forward” the reader into the postgenomic era. As molecular analyses become less expensive and bioinformatic tools become more powerful, we are gaining new appreciation for the complexity of the etiologies, management strategies, and prevention of this syndrome.