The process of autophagy is defined as the degradation of cellular cytoplasmic constituents via a lysosomal pathway. Herein I sought to examine the regulation of autophagy in the placental pathologies preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). I hypothesized that the Bcl-2 family proteins Mcl-1L and MtdL regulate placental autophagy and contribute towards dysregulated autophagy in PE. My results demonstrate that Mcl-1L acts to repress autophagy via a Beclin 1 interaction, while MtdL induces autophagy when it interacts with Mcl-1L. My data indicate that while autophagy is elevated in PE, a pathology characterized by oxidative stress, it is decreased in IUGR, a hypoxic pathology. Treatment with sodium nitroprusside to mimic PE caused a decrease in Mcl-1L and an increase in MtdL levels in response to oxidative stress, thereby inducing autophagy. Overall, my data provide insight into the molecular mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

The process of autophagy is defined as the degradation of cellular cytoplasmic constituents via a lysosomal pathway. Herein I sought to examine the regulation of autophagy in the placental pathologies preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). I hypothesized that the Bcl-2 family proteins Mcl-1L and MtdL regulate placental autophagy and contribute towards dysregulated autophagy in PE. My results demonstrate that Mcl-1L acts to repress autophagy via a Beclin 1 interaction, while MtdL induces autophagy when it interacts with Mcl-1L. My data indicate that while autophagy is elevated in PE, a pathology characterized by oxidative stress, it is decreased in IUGR, a hypoxic pathology. Treatment with sodium nitroprusside to mimic PE caused a decrease in Mcl-1L and an increase in MtdL levels in response to oxidative stress, thereby inducing autophagy. Overall, my data provide insight into the molecular mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

En el Instituto Materno Perinatal durante período comprendido entre el 01 de octubre de 1999 y el 31 de marzo del año 2000 se realizó un estudio prospectivo, longitudinal y comparativo con un diseño de tipo validación de prueba diagnóstica con el objetivo de determinar el valor de la velocimetría Doppler de la arteria uterina entre las 20 y 26 semanas de gestación en la predicción de pre-eclampsia. Un total de 144 gestantes cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Se registró la presencia o ausencia de la escotadura o incisura protodiastólica ("notch") en la onda de la flujometría de ambas arterias uterinas y el índice de resistencia (IR) de las arterias uterinas si eran _ 95to percentil. El 89,2% de pacientes con presencia de notch protodiastólico a la evaluación ultrasonográfica Doppler de las arterias uterinas presentaron pre-eclampsia al término de la gestación. Ninguna paciente tuvo índice de resistencia (IR) de las arterias uterinas _ 95to percentil. La presencia de notch protodiastólico en las ondas de velocimetría de las arterias uterinas, la nuliparidad y el riesgo social alto se asociaron significativamente con pre-eclampsia. El riesgo relativo de pre-eclampsia para pacientes con presencia de notch protodiastólico en las ondas de flujo de las arterias uterinas fue 26,8 (IC 95% 12,4 – 56,7; P _ 0,0001). Para pre-eclampsia, la presencia del notch protodiastólico en la onda de velocimetría de la arteria uterina por ultrasonografía Doppler tuvo una sensibilidad de 89,1%, especificidad de 80,4%, valor predictivo positivo de 61,1% y un valor predictivo negativo 95,5%. Se concluye que la presencia del notch protodiastólico en la onda de velocimetría de la arteria uterina evaluada por ultrasonografía Doppler transabdominal entre las 20- 26 semanas de gestación fue un importante predictor de pre-eclampsia.

OBJETIVO Analizar la asociación existente entre el control prenatal y la preeclampsia. MATERIALES Y MÈTODOS Estudio caso control, con 80 historias de pacientes divididas en 40 casos (con preeclampsia) y 40 controles (sin preeclampsia). Los criterios de inclusión tanto para los casos como para los controles fueron: paciente cuyo parto único fue atendido en el hospital San Bartolomé, con seis controles prenatales como mínimo o más, que cuenten con historia clínica en el servicio de archivos del hospital, que presenten diagnóstico médico de preeclampsia (sólo para los casos) y diagnóstico médico de no haber presentado ninguna complicación en el embarazo, parto y puerperio (sólo para los controles). Se excluyeron tanto para los casos como para los controles a pacientes con historias clínicas inadecuadas (enmendaduras, no registrados, registros inapropiados), la presencia de otras patologías previas no asociadas a la hipertensión y a pacientes que además de preeclampsia presentaron otro trastorno hipertensivo sobreagregado (sólo para los casos). La recolección de datos se realizó a través de un formulario que se elaboró mediante el estudio de las historias clínicas y el carné perinatal. Estuvo dividido en cuatro partes, además se hizo un cuadro para la obtención de indicadores en cada control prenatal de las pacientes en estudio consiguiendo datos como: edad gestacional, altura uterina, presión arterial, peso materno, albuminuria, edema y el lugar dónde se realizó cada control prenatal. Todos los datos se analizaron vía estadística descriptiva e inferencial. RESULTADOS El promedio del número total de controles prenatales fue de 7.8±1.9 para las preeclàmpticas y para las no preeclàmpticas fue de 8.8±1.9, (p<0.05). Los controles prenatales inadecuados en las preeclàmpticas fueron de un 55% y para las no preeclàmpticas fue de un 37,5%. Los controles prenatales adecuados fueron de un 45% para las preeclàmpticas y de un 62,5% para las no preeclàmpticas. La asociación efectuada entre el control prenatal y la preeclampsia demostró que existe dos veces más probabilidad de tener un control prenatal inadecuado, y como consecuencia de ello terminar en preeclampsia, comparado con tener, el control prenatal adecuado y terminar sin preeclampsia. CONCLUSIÒN Existe asociación entre los controles prenatales inadecuados y la preeclampsia.

Objetivo: Determinar el valor predictivo del Índice Cerebro Placentario y del flujo anormal del Ductus Venoso de Aranzio, medido por velocimetría Doppler, en pacientes con preeclampsia, en relación a un resultado perinatal adverso. Materiales y métodos: Estudio prospectivo, no experimental, longitudinal, de tipo correlacional. Se realizaron exámenes ultrasonográficos Doppler para determinar el Índice Cerebro Placentario y el flujo anormal del Ductus Venoso de Aranzio, en los 7 días previos al parto, en 160 pacientes con diagnóstico de preeclampsia severa admitidas en la Unidad de Medicina Fetal y Diagnóstico Prenatal del Servicio de Obstetricia de Alto Riesgo del Hospital Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen – EsSalud. El resultado perinatal adverso fue definido por los siguientes parámetros: Cesárea por SFA, APGAR menor 7 a los 5´, Líquido amniótico meconial, Oligohidramnios, pH de la arteria umbilical menor 7,2, Admisión en UCI neonatal, RCIU. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva para la variable dependiente y estadística inferencial mediante el estadístico chi cuadrado (x²) y prueba exacta de Fisher, con un nivel de significancia de 0,05; confiabilidad del 95%. Además se calculó la sensibilidad, especificidad y valores predictivos positivo y negativo de la variable independiente. Conclusiones: Se ha demostrado que la alteración del Índice Cerebro Placentario y del Flujo del Ductus Venoso de Aranzio medido por flujometría Doppler fetal, detecta a más del 65% de los recién nacidos con resultado perinatal adverso e hipoxia fetal y se asocia a la ocurrencia del mismo. Además esta es una prueba predictiva, estadísticamente significativa, de RCIU y de oligohidramnios, en pacientes con preeclampsia severa. El presente estudio se realizó con un muestreo no aleatorio, por ende, este hecho de no aleatoriedad, pudiera plantear problemas de validez externa. / Objective: To ascertain the value of cerebral-placental ratio and the abnormal fluxo of Aranzio´s Ductus Venous and for identifying newborns with neonatal morbidity in pregnancies complicated by severe preeclampsia. Study Design: A longitudinal and correlational study of 160 patients with severe preeclampsia (PA > 160/110, proteinuria 3+) was performed Doppler study done by one operador within 7 days before delivery. An abnormal cerebral-placental ratio and abnormal resistance and pulsabilility index of ductus venous were used to identificate fetal asphixia (cardiac insuficiency). The results belong 5 percentile were considered abnormal. These results were matched with perinatal results considered as abnormal. Results: Maternal characteristic were: age 33, parity 1, primigravid 45%, prenatal care 85%, gestational age at enrollment 35,1 weeks. The probability of detection IUGR is 65% and oligohydramnios 61,2%. Conclusion: The cerebral-placental ratio and abnormal fluxo of Aranzio´s Ductus venous identifies 65 % or more of the newborns with severe neonatal morbidity in pregnancies with severe preeclampsia.

Background: The most commonly employed screening method for proteinuria is a semi- quantitative dipstick urinalysis, but it has been shown to be inaccurate in pregnancy. New developments in the assessment of proteinuria have included the use of urinary albumin measurements. The Clinitek Microalbumin Reagent Strip (Bayer Healthcare LLC, USA) is a semi-quantitative dipstick test. It is used to measure the spot urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio that is read using the Clinitek 50 portable urine chemistry analyzer. Aims We embarked on a pilot study to validate the Clinitek 50 system by determining the accuracy of spot urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks and conventional visual dipsticks (Makromed) compared to the laboratory urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio quantification to detect significant proteinuria in normotensive and hypertensive antenatal attendees. The accuracy of spot urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks and conventional visual dipsticks were then compared to a 24 hour urinary protein (gold standard) to detect significant proteinuria in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We then determined the role of proteinuria as assessed by the diagnostic accuracy of both the 24 hour urinary protein (gold standard) and the spot urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick, in pregnancy outcomes of these participants. Methods This was a prospective study conducted at hospitals serving the Durban Metropolitan region in South Africa. To validate the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick, fifteen normotensive healthy pregnant women and 11 women with new onset hypertension in pregnancy were recruited .Each women had a spot midstream urine, which was assessed for proteinuria using a semi-quantitative visual dipstick (Makromed) and analysed using the semi-quantitative urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks (Clinitek® Microalbumin) read on the Clinitek® 50 urine chemistry analyser. A result of 1 + on visual dipsticks and a spot urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio UAC of > 300mg/g (33.9mg/mmol) was considered as positive for significant proteinuria. The results were compared to the laboratory quantitative measurement of the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio. The study group comprised 163 women presenting with newly diagnosed hypertension during pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation, being recruited from antenatal clinics. Each participant had a spot urine sample that was tested by trained midwives for proteinuria using a semi-quantitative visual dipstick (Makromed). Participants were admitted to the ward where a spot midstream urine sample was collected and analysed using the semi-quantitative urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks. A 24 hour quantitative urinary protein analysis was completed. The results of the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks and conventional visual dipsticks were compared to the 24 hour urinary protein (gold standard) to detect significant proteinuria. A urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio of < 300mg/g (nil and trace on visual urine dipsticks) was considered to be a negative result. A urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio 300 mg/g (1+ to 4+ on visual urine dipsticks) was considered to be a positive result. Urinary protein 0.3 g/24 hours was considered significant proteinuria. The outcomes of pregnancy in 2 sub-categories viz. those with and without significant proteinuria were compared using the 24 hr urinary protein measurement. A secondary analysis of outcomes of pregnancy was performed by subcategorizing the participants according to the diagnostic accuracy of the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks. In the 26 patients enrolled in the initial study , the visual dipstick had a sensitivity of 25% ( 95% CI [0.04-0.64] ) and specificity of 89% ( 95% CI [0.64 -0.98]).The urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks had a sensitivity of 88% ( 95% CI [0.47-0.99]), specificity of 89% (95% CI [0.64-0.98]), negative predictive value (NPV) of 94% (95% CI [0.69-1.00]) and positive predictive value (PPV) of 78% (95% CI [0.40-0.96]). In the 163 patients subsequently enrolled the visual dipstick had a sensitivity of 51 % ( 95% CI [0.41-0.61]) and specificity of 91% (95% CI [0.81-0.96]) .The PPV and NPV was 89 %( 95% CI [0.77-0.95]) and 58% (95% CI [0.48-0.67]) respectively. The urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks had a sensitivity of 63% (95% CI [0.52-0.72]) and specificity of 81 % (95% CI [0.70-0.89]). The PPV was 82% (95% CI [0.71-0.90]) and NPV was 62% (95% CI [0.51-0.71]). Our results show that in hypertensive pregnant women, significant proteinuria determined by the quantitative 24 hour urinary protein is associated with delivery at an earlier gestational age, increased induction of labour and lower birthweights compared to the non-proteinuric hypertensives (gestational hypertension). There is also a trend towards an increased maternal morbidity and perinatal mortality. When the groups were classified into pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension using the diagnostic accuracy of the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipsticks, there were no differences in the clinical outcomes between the false negatives and true negatives except a trend towards a higher caesarean section rate in the false negatives. Conclusion The urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick read on the Clinitek 50 system provides a semi – quantitative result of the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio that has good sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick has a good negative predictive value and a result of < 300mg/g rules out significant proteinuria and avoids unnecessary investigations in pregnancy. Both the visual dipstick (Makromed) and the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick read on the Clinitek 50 system are not accurate when compared to the total 24 hour urinary protein. Differences between the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio and 24 hour total urinary protein may be due to the variation in the albumin fraction of the total urinary protein of pre-eclampsia, technical problems with imprecision of the assay technique and clinical causes of false positives and negatives. The improved sensitivity of the automated urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick over the visual dipstick suggests it may be a suitable substitute for the visual dipstick in clinical practice Hypertension in pregnancy associated with significant proteinuria is associated with greater adverse maternal and fetal outcome. Outcome of pregnancy is similar when a classification of gestational hypertension is made based either on the 24 hour urinary protein or the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick read on the Clinitek 50 system. The urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio dipstick is a good screening test to rule out significant proteinuria. It has the potential to improve accuracy of screening for proteinuria and enhancing safety by preventing incorrect diagnosis and unnecessary investigation. Further research is required to determine its full impact and cost effectiveness in the clinical setting. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

Preeclampsia and selected immunogenetic factors Our objective was to evaluate plasma levels of the eight most common antiphospholipid antibodies (antiphosphatidylserine, antiphosphatidylethanolamine, antiphosphatidylinositol, antiphosphatidylglycerol, antiphosphatidic acid, antiannexin V, anticardiolipin and anti 2-glycoprotein I antibodies) by ELISA method and selected inherited thrombophilia (F V- Leiden mutation, FII mutation G20210A, C677T and A1298C variants of the gene for methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase-MTHFR) by DNA analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes using the real-time PCR in fifty-five women with preeclampsia in the period immediately before urgent termination of pregnancy. Fifty-five healthy women without preeclampsia was considered as a controll group. Entered data were examined using a non-parametric Wilcoxon's test, univariate analysis were perfomed using the Fisher's exact test and statistical dependence between variables was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. We demonstrated that women with preeclampsia had significantly higher levels of anticardiolipin antibodies in the isotope IgG (p <0.01) and IgM (p <0.01), elevated levels of antiphosphatidylserine antibodies in the isotope IgG(p <0.01) and antiethanolamine antibodies in the isotope IgM (p <0.01) when...

Placental dysfunction affects approximately 1 in 10 pregnant women in both the developed and developing worlds. Most commonly, it is manifested as preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction. Over the past two decades, an increasing body of research into the developmental biology of the placenta has been amassed, which points to defects in the differentiation of the trophoblast cell lineage as a key player in the pathophysiology of placental dysfunction. A number of clinical parameters are known to be associated with an elevated risk of placental dysfunction. These include maternal risk factors (such as chronic hypertension, renal disease, and lupus), history of placental dysfunction in a prior pregnancy, abnormalities in the levels of certain proteins in the maternal blood that are commonly used to estimate the risk of fetal genetic defects, and abnormalities in uterine artery Doppler waveforms. These current methods have significant drawbacks, including low specificity and sensitivity, high cost, lack of widespread availability, and lack of validity early in pregnancy. In order to provide a more cost-effective and reliable method to detect an elevated risk for placental dysfunction early in pregnancy, we explored the potential for extracellular RNAs (exRNA) in the maternal serum to be used as biomarkers. In our study, we used next generation sequencing technologies to compare extracellular microRNA (miRNA) levels in serum samples of pregnant women of different gestational ages, nonpregnant women, and placental tissue samples. We discovered that the large majority of microRNAs that were present at higher levels in pregnant serum samples than nonpregnant serum samples and were likely of placental origin. We also found that these pregnancy-specific miRNAs were enriched for miRNAs encoded on chromosomes (Chr) 14 and 19, with changes in the relative expression of these two groups of miRNAs throughout pregnancy. Moreover, the miRNA signatures of late gestational pregnant samples correlated more closely with placental tissue samples than those of early pregnant samples, which could be related to the increasing impact of a larger placenta on the maternal serum exRNA profile. Our results demonstrate the potential utility of next generation sequencing technologies in regards to differentiating between different conditions using clinical samples.

El documento digital no refiere un asesor / Publicación a texto completo no autorizada por el autor / Determina la utilidad de la Ultrasonografía Doppler de las arterias uterinas entre las 11-14 semanas de gestación para predecir la preeclampsia, en el Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal durante el período enero a diciembre 2012. Estudio observacional, descriptivo, retrospectivo de cohorte histórico. Se analiza a 137 pacientes que se realizan Ultrasonografía Doppler de arterias uterinas entre las 11 – 14 semanas de edad gestacional atendidos en el Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal durante el 2012. Para las variables cuantitativas se estima medidas de tendencia central y de dispersión y para las variables cualitativas se usa frecuencias absolutas y porcentajes, además de la prueba de chi-cuadrado, odds ratio e indicadores predictivos: sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y negativo, razón de verosimilitud positivo y negativo, con una significancia del 5%. La edad de las gestantes que se realizan la Ultrasonografía Doppler es de 16 a 47 años con un promedio de 29,9±6,5 años, con nivel de instrucción secundaria en la mayoría de pacientes (65,7%), estado civil conviviente (67,2%). El Índice de Pulsatilidad promedio que se analiza es mayor del percentil 95 siendo este valor 2.2, se compara algunas características obstétricas de las pacientes teniendo en cuenta este punto de corte del IP promedio, donde la edad gestacional promedio de toma de ecografía Doppler es de 12,7±0,8 y 12,8±0,9 semanas en los pacientes con IP >2,2 y ≤2,2, respectivamente, además se observa mayor proporción de pacientes sin ningún aborto, en las que tenían IP≤2,2 (57,6% vs 63,4%). Por otro lado se observa que en los pacientes con IP>2,2 presentan mayor multiparidad. (62% vs 57,6%). Se identifica que de todas las gestantes que se realizan Ultrasonografía Doppler de las arterias uterinas entre las 11 – 14 semanas, el 23,4% presentan preeclampsia, presentando el 65,6% de las pacientes con preeclampsia IP>2,2, mientras que las pacientes sin preeclampsia con IP≤2,2 son 52,4%. En las pacientes con y sin preeclampsia se compara el peso pregestacional promedio siendo mayor en las pacientes que desarrollan preeclampsia, con una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p=0,037), al comparar los rangos de edad no se encuentra diferencias entre las pacientes con y sin preeclampsia. El análisis de los indicadores predictivos permite demostrar que el IP promedio > 2,2, tiene una sensibilidad del 66%, especificidad 52%, valor predictivo positivo 30%, valor predictivo negativo 83% y la razón de verosimilitud negativa y positiva son 1,38 y 0,3, respectivamente. Concluye que el valor del IP promedio de las arterias uterinas > 2.2 evaluado por ultrasonografía Doppler entre las 11-14 semanas es útil para predecir preeclampsia en 66% de los pacientes que presentan dicha patología. / Trabajo académico

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:39:55Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 medeiros_ltl_me_botfm.pdf: 283518 bytes, checksum: dbcb08c9c963c43e9e5990d9795fb85f (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Monócitos do sangue periférico de gestantes portadoras de pré-eclâmpsia encontram-se ativados endogenamente e secretam níveis elevados de radicais livres e citocinas inflamatórias. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar se o estado inflamatório de monócitos, observado na pré-eclâmpsia, está associado à polarização da subpopulação de monócitos de perfil M1 no sangue periférico, correlacionando a expressão de receptores de superfície CD64, TLR2, TLR4, CD163 e CD206 com a produção de citocinas. Foram estudadas 90 gestantes, sendo 30 normotensas e 60 portadoras de pré-eclâmpsia, pareadas pela idade gestacional. Monócitos de sangue periférico obtidos de gestantes normais ou com pré-eclâmpsia foram cultivados por 18h na ausência ou presença de lipopolissacáride de Escherichia coli (LPS) ou de peptidoglicano (PG) de bactéria Gram-positiva. A expressão de receptores presentes na superfície da subpopulação de monócitos inflamatórios M1 (TLR2, TLR4 e CD64) e de monócitos supressores M2 (CD163 e CD206) foi detectada por de citometria de fluxo, empregando-se anticorpos monoclonais específicos, marcados com fluorocromos. Os resultados foram expressos como média da intensidade de fluorescência. Além disso, a produção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias associadas a padrão M1 (TNF-, IL-12p70 e IL-23) e anti-inflamatória, associada a perfil M2 (IL-10) foi avaliada no sobrenadante de cultura de monócitos pela técnica de ELISA. Os resultados foram analisados por testes não paramétricos, com nível de significância de 5%. A expressão de CD64 e TLR4 em monócitos, não estimulados, de gestantes com pré-eclâmpsia foi significativamente maior, enquanto a expressão de CD163 e CD206 foi significativamente menor em relação às gestantes normotensas, sugerindo a expressão de um perfil M1 de... / Monocytes from peripheral blood of pregnant women with preeclampsia are endogenously activated and secrete high levels of free radicals and inflammatory cytokines. This work aimed to evaluate whether the inflammatory state of monocytes observed in preeclampsia is associated with the polarization of monocyte to M1 profile in peripheral blood, correlating the expression of surface receptors CD64, TLR2, TLR4, and CD163 and CD206 with cytokine production. We studied 90 pregnant women, 30 normotensive and 60 with preeclampsia, matched for gestational age. Peripheral blood monocytes obtained from normotensive pregnant or preeclamptic pregnant women were cultured for 18h in the absence or presence of Escherichia coli lypopolysacharide (LPS) or peptidoglycan (PG) of Gram-positive bacteria, and the expression of surface receptors on M1 inflammatory monocyte subpopulation (TLR2, TLR4 and CD64) and M2 suppressor monocyte subpopulation (CD163 and CD206) were evaluated by flow cytometry, using specific monoclonal antibodies, labeled with fluorochromes. The values were expressed as the mean fluorescence intensity. Moreover, the production of proinflammatory cytokines associated with M1 profile (TNF-, IL-12p70 and IL-23) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine associated with M2 profile (IL-10) were evaluated in the monocyte supernatant of culture by enzyme immunoassay. Results were analyzed using nonparametric tests with significance level set at 5%. The expression of CD4 and TLR4 on non-stimulated monocytes, from women with preeclampsia was significantly higher, while the expression of CD163 and CD206 was significantly decreased compared with normotensive pregnant women, suggesting the predominance of monocyte M1 profile. Endogenous production of TNF-, IL-12p70 and IL-23 by monocytes was increased, while synthesis of IL-10 was lower in women with... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)