Summary
Preeclampsia (PE) affects 5-7% of all pregnancies in the U.S and 30% of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are caused by chronic hypertension (HTN) prior to pregnancy which increases the risk of superimposed PE (SIPE). Despite being a leading cause of maternal death and perinatal morbidity, the mechanisms responsible for PE and SIPE are unclear. Healthy normal pregnancy (NP) is associated with elevations in progesterone and T helper 2 (TH2)/uterine natural killer cells (NK cells), favoring immunotolerance of the fetus. Activated lymphocytes during NP express progesterone receptors, which
