ABSTRACT
This chapter summarises the experimental studies designed to understand the changes in the plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) levels that occur in pregnant women suffering from preeclampsia and/ or intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Normal pregnancy and delivery are associated with marked changes in the coagulation and fibrinolytic system. However, certain clinical situations can intensify or augment the alterations in the hemostatic system and, thus, lead to an increased susceptibility of pregnant women to thrombotic disorders. Infants small for their gestational age are commonly associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The localized elevated placenta plasminogen activator-inhibitor type 1 levels observed in PE/IUGR patients would be expected to foster the deposition of fibrin and, thus, play a role in the thrombotic complications associated with this disease. Elucidation of the mechanisms that regulate the altered production of PAIs in a patient’s placenta should shed light on the processes that underlie these pathological conditions.
