The Role of Endogenous Vascular Protection Factors in Preeclampsia

先兆子痫是最常见的严重妊娠并发症。它是由胎盘缺陷引起的，在早期阶段是无胎盘的。目前，只有通过定期对母亲的血压和尿液进行产前检查才能发现。在其最广泛的形式中，先兆子痫总体上影响约十分之一的妊娠，并且严重影响每50个妊娠中的一个。如果任由其发展和进展而不被发现，可能会危及母亲和婴儿的生命。先兆子痫只有通过分娩才能治愈，如果早产，一些婴儿会面临风险。最近，科学家们已经确定了血液中的化学物质（抗血管生成因子）似乎与先兆子痫的发病有关。然而，目前还不知道是什么调节这些抗血管生成因子。如果我们能够找到抑制这些因素的新机制，我们就可以提供预防性治疗。

Preeclampsia is the most common of the serious complications of pregnancy. It is caused by a defect in the placenta and is symptomless in the early stages. It is currently only detectable by regular antenatal checks on the mother s blood pressure and urine. In its widest forms, preeclampsia affects about 1 in 10 pregnancies overall and 1 in 50 pregnancies severely. It is potentially life-threatening to mother and baby if allowed to develop and progress undetected. Preeclampsia is curable only by delivery, which puts some babies at risk if they have to be delivered prematurely. Recently, scientists have identified chemicals in the blood (anti-angiogenic factors) that appear to be associated with the onset of preeclampsia. However, it is not known what regulate these anti-angiogenic factors. If we can identify novel mechanisms to inhibit these factors, we could provide preventative treatment.