OBJECTIVE: In normal pregnancy there is both a neutrophilia and a mild neutrophil activation. In preeclampsia both direct and indirect evidence supports further marked neutrophil activation. In the pathogenesis of preeclampsia peripheral blood neutrophils may play a vital role in communicating between the preeclamptic placenta and the maternal vascular endothelium and contribute to the endothelial cell dysfunction that char acterizes the maternal syndrome of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia shares many elements with the systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Neutrophils, key effecters of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, are associated with hepatic necrosis and adult respiratory distress syndrome, both of which most commonly kill women with preeclampsia. We hypothesized that delayed neutrophil apoptosis could explain (I) the neutrophilia of normal pregnancy and (2) the differential maternal responses to the shared placental abnormality of preeclampsia and normotensive intrauterine growth restriction. STUDY DESIGN: Neutrophils were isolated (dextran 500, Ficoll [Amersham Pharmacia Biotech AB, Uppsala, Sweden], and erythrocyte lysis) from (1) case patients with preeclampsia at less than or equal to 34 weeks' gestation, (2) healthy pregnant control subjects, (3) case patients with normotensive intrauterine growth restriction at less than or equal to 34 weeks' gestation, and (4) nonpregnant female control subjects. Apoptosis was determined after 18 hours of incubation (with or without endotoxin or anti-fas monoclonal antibody) by deoxyribonucleic acid profile (propidium iodide study), annexin V binding, and CD16 expression. RESULTS: Compared with propidium iodide profile values in nonpregnant women (median, 25%; range, 14%-40%) neutrophil apoptosis was significantly delayed in normal pregnancy (median, 9.5%; range, 7.6%-15%) and normotensive pregnancy with intrauterine growth restriction (median, 11%; range. 9.3%-19%)and was further delayed in preeclampsia (median, 6.9%; range, 4.1%-8.2%; P less than or equal to.005 vs normal pregnancy and normotensive intrauterine growth restriction). All neutrophils remained sensitive to endotoxin inhibition but were resistant to anti-fas induction of apoptosis. Spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis decreased as gestational age increased (r(2) = 0.48). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired neutrophil apoptosis may explain the neutrophilia associated with normal pregnancy. In women with preeclampsia activated neutrophils remain in the circulation, perhaps contributing to the persistence of preeclampsia after delivery. Neutrophils appear to modulate the Variation in maternal response between preeclampsia and normotensive intrauterine growth restriction.
