Assessment of Genetic Contributions to Risk of Preeclampsia in Ecuadorian Women

Abstract

Aim: To identify the immunogenetic factors that trigger the beginning of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Methods: A retrospective, case-control study of 142 pregnant women in Obstetrics and Gynecological Hospital Isidro Ayora in Quito, who are grouped into two different groups, diseased and healthy. The study analyzed ethnicity, age, gynecological history, contraception, immunizations, blood type and Rh factor, and family history of preeclampsia-eclampsia of each of the pregnant women; and gestational age, sex, weight, and blood type and Rh factor of the progeny. Results: Age, ethnicity, history of pregnancy, abortions, contraception, and blood type and Rh factor were similar for both groups (p > 0.05). Gestational age and weight of the progeny was lower in cases compared with controls (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference when comparing the blood type and Rh factor of the two groups (p > 0.05). Male gender was predominant in both groups for cases 69.01 and 87.32% for controls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: There was a higher predisposition for inherited cases (26%) versus controls (9.85%), p < 0.05, for the occurrence of preeclampsia. The frequency of the recessive gene for Mendelian inheritance model mother-fetus homozygous (aa/aa), in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg Law, was 0.41 for the sample.