[The role of immunologic factors in the etiology of pregnancy-induced hypertension].

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a placental disease that mainly occurs in primigravidae, but its precise etiology is not yet known. It has long been considered that the protective effect of multiparity may be due to immunological factors. Here, we review epidemiologic data from the literature supporting the idea of a possible immunological basis of PIH. There are conflicting reports in the literature regarding the involvement of cellular and humoral mechanisms in the etiology of PIH, the impact of histocompatibility and the interactions between maternal and fetal genotype. Finally, the evidence for a common immunologic cause for pregnancy-induced hypertension and miscarriage is discussed.