Sterile inflammation in preeclampsia and preterm birth

Abstract

This review presents new data demonstrating the importance of sterile inflammation in major complications of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and preterm delivery. We analyzed molecular patterns related to defects with regard to danger signals, such as activators of the innate immune system. We analyzed recently discovered structures, i.e., inflammasomes, during pregnancy and their possible role in inducing and maintaining sterile inflammation. Sterile inflammation plays an important role in distorting normal pregnancy and, as a consequence, changes the direction of fetal development. Our data demonstrate that some alarmins participate in inducing inflammation, both in preeclampsia and in preterm delivery. Such universality does not exclude certain specifics of inflammation, which are still not completely clear. We discussed new ways of evaluation and treatment of sterile inflammation in such pathologies.