Preeclampsia: A multifactorial disease resulting from the interaction of the feto-maternal HLA genotype and HCMV infection

PROBLEM: To clarify the possible influence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mother-child genotypes and human cytomegalo virus (HCMV) presence on the development of preeclampsia. METHODS OF STUDY: One hundred and four DNA samples from mothers with preeclampsia, mothers with a normal history of pregnancies and their neonates were tested by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR SSOP) for HLA-A, -G, -DRB1, -DQA1, -DQB1 alleles. The HCMV sequences were analyzed using a PCR-SSOP method and the four primers described by Chou (Chou S: J Clin Microb 1992; 30:2307-2310). RESULTS: Compared with their respective controls, a significant increase of DRBl*07 among neonates (P-c = 0.05) and of DRBl*07 and;or DRBl*06 among pre-eclamptic mothers (P-c = 0.003. RR = 8,5) was found. When HCMV sequences were detected in pre-eclamptic mothers carrying those phenotypes the RR increased up to 40. Furthermore, the fetal inheritance of a maternal HLA-G*0104 increased the risk for the appearance of the disease (RR = 30; P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the presence of alleles HLA-G*0104. DRB1*07/06, HCMV sequences and the fetal inheritance of maternal G*0104, should be considered as conditioning factors for the development of preeclampsia.