The success of pregnancy is associated with a correct placentation that is essential for the growth and development of the fetus. In a normal pregnancy, the syncytiotrophoblast produces and secretes a variety of elements necessary to achieve this goal, among them placental exosomes. These carry cytoplasmic and membrane-bound proteins and nucleic acids that can reprogram the receptor cells. Depending on their interactions with the immune system, they can be divided into immunostimulants or immunosuppressants. The production and secretion of immunosuppressive placental exosomes causes a protective effect on the fetalplacental unit. Those isolated from maternal plasma are active in vitro and are incorporated into the target cells by endocytosis. Their effect, regulated by factors that include oxygen tension, correlates with placental perfusion. Preeclampsia is a syndrome characterized by a ...

Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The incidence of preeclampsia has increased in the past decade, which has been attributed to various predisposing factors. Despite decades of research into the condition, the ability of clinicians to predict it prior to the onset of symptoms has not improved significantly. No single screening test has gained widespread acceptance into clinical practice. Combinations of biochemical and ultrasonographic markers improve the performance of early prediction of preeclampsia. Screening with a combination of maternal risk factors, uterine artery Doppler, mean arterial pressure, maternal serum pregnancy associated plasma protein-A, and placental growth factor can identify about 95% of cases of early onset preeclampsia. Interestingly, intense research has unveiled the names of some important biomolecules which play an inf...

Pregnancy is a challenge to the maternal vascular system, requiring systemic adaptation and pronounced local changes in the uterus. The maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy involves a complex physiologic response to the presence of the growing fetus, including alterations in maternal vascular endothelial cells that contribute to a profound fall in total systemic vascular resistance. The discovery of endothelial progenitor cells has generated considerable interest in the field of vascular biology. These cells can be mobilized into the circulation by growth factors and can then support the health of the vascular endothelium by several mechanisms. These cells arise from a population of circulating mononuclear cells and have the capacity to form new blood vessels and contribute to vascular repair. Diseases of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, increase the risk of complications and ...