RESEARCH ARTICLE Genome-wide association e B

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articlePreeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific complication which affects 2-7 % of pregnancies [1]. Recognized as a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mor-tality worldwide, PE is characterized by new onset hyper-tension and proteinuria with or without other multi-system disorders. Family-based studies in several geo-graphically and ethnically diverse populations have evidence for a genetic basis of PE, its exact etiology remains undefined. Numerous candidate genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PE; particularly genes involved in immune maladaptation, placental ischemia, and increased oxidative stress [6]. Recent research found that the complement sys-tem may play a role in PE [7]. While sequence variants in over 70 genes have been investigated, the majority of stud-ies have focused on only a handful of these genes [8,9]. Hundreds of candidate gene studies have been conducted, but findings have been inconsistent [10]. Selection of can