The complement system in human pregnancy and preeclampsia

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Human pregnancy is a complex condition that poses significant challenges for women due to the necessity of a uterus for key processes such as fertilization, embryo implantation, fetal development, and childbirth. These processes are governed by immunological factors and accompanied by various physiological changes. For a successful pregnancy, maternal immune reprogramming is crucial because the developing embryo is considered a semi-allograft. Any immunological alteration during pregnancy induces recurrent pregnancy loss and other fetal-maternal health issues, including preeclampsia. However, despite advances in reproductive immunology, the exact immunopathogenesis of preeclampsia remains unclear. The complement system (CS) is an evolutionarily ancient and critical innate immune component that plays a significant role in maintaining immune homeostasis. The current article discusses the critical role of the CS in human pregnancy and how its dysregulation predisposes pregnant women to preeclampsia. The article introduces the concept of the Th1 to Th2 immunological shift as a prerequisite for a successful pregnancy and the evolution of decidualization via transposable elements, which recruit genes responsible for the process in the endometrium. The immune system plays a critical role in decidualization. The second section discusses the CS signaling pathway, its negative regulators

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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