Family Study on Preeclampsia

This study will examine a possible genetic basis for preeclampsia, a disorder of high blood pressure and protein in the urine during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a major pregnancy complication affecting both mother and baby. Previous research has shown that preeclampsia tends to run in certain families. This study will determine which genes may be involved in preeclampsia.

Women who have had preeclampsia (called the index woman) may be eligible for this study. They will be recruited through the Preeclampsia Foundation. In addition, the following relatives of the index woman may be enrolled:

• The child from the preeclampsic pregnancy
• The index woman's biological parents
• The index woman's siblings who have given birth or fathered a child and their family members

The study will exclude any index women or family members who have had chronic hypertension, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, or whose pregnancy that involved preeclampsia was a multiple fetus pregnancy or that was conceived through use of fertility technology.

All women participants fill out a questionnaire to collect demographic data (e.g., age, race, marital status, etc.) and information on their medical and reproductive history, use of tobacco and medicines, and other factors that may be associated with preeclampsia syndrome. Women who have had preeclampsia or hypertension in pregnancy are asked to sign a medical record release form for study investigators to obtain a copy of the medical record for that pregnancy. All male and female participants provide a mouthwash rinse sample for extraction of DNA for gene studies. For babies too young to rinse with mouthwash, a soft brush is used to brush the inside of the mouth to collect cheek cells.

Mouthwash samples are analyzed for genes that may be associated with preeclampsia.