The role of Fas mediated apoptosis in preeclampsia.

It has become clear in recent years that apoptosis is a normal process in trophoblast turnover during pregnancy. Increased trophoblast apoptosis has been observed in the placenta of women with preeclampsia, serum from women with preeclampsia has been found to induce increased trophoblast sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis, and serum from women with preeclampsia has elevated levels of various chemokines, growth factors and cytokines that are involved in the regulation of apoptosis. This review highlights the importance of apoptosis in normal placental development and explores the mechanisms whereby Fas-mediated apoptosis may play a role in conditions related to abnormal placentation, such as preeclampsia.