The role of neutrophils in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is currently one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Disease development is caused by multiple factors but the main trigger remains unknown. Preeclamptic placentas are defined by increased inflammatory environment. One of the first cells to enter the site of inflammation are neutrophils. Current studies uncover considerable heterogeneity of neutrophils which used to be considered as terminally differentiated population with a very limited plasticity. Disbalance in the proportional and functional properties of proinflammatory and immunosuppressive neutrophil subpopulations including myeloid derived suppressor cells can lead to severe pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia. Better understanding of the origin of abnormal neutrophil subpopulations and their role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia could help reveal possible targets for therapeutic intervention. Key words: neutrophil subpopulations, preeclampsia, NETosis, myeloid derived suppressor cells, myeloperoxidase, elastase, PD-L1, inflammatio