A possible placental factor for preeclampsia: sFlt-1.

Despite its clinical importance, the mechanism of preeclampsia is unclear; however, many believe placental pathology might be related to maternal systemic disease. If this is true, a factor which mediates information from the placenta to the maternal circulation can be hypothesized. Among a variety of such reported factors, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1) will be the focus of this review. The hypoxic placenta, which is commonly found in preeclampsia, produces sFlt1; furthermore, animal experiments suggest its over-expression leads to preeclampsia-like symptoms.