An epidemiological study of the immunogenetic aetiology of pre-eclampsia.

A population based case-control study of the association between dissimilar race of parents and risk of pre-eclampsia was undertaken. Data on singleton births in Washington State in 1981 were available for analysis from birth certificates. All mothers recorded as having pre-eclampsia and a sample of mothers who did not have pre-eclampsia were eligible for comparison with regard to racial dissimilarity between parents. Women with previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease and diabetes were excluded. After the confounding effects of maternal parity and race had been controlled for, racial dissimilarity of parents was associated with a 1.9-fold increased risk of pre-eclampsia (95% confidence interval = 1.3-2.8; number of cases = 973, of controls = 1480). This finding supports the theory that genetic dissimilarity of father and mother has a role in pre-eclampsia and is consistent with an immunogenetic aetiology.