Whole genome association analyses on a pre-eclampsia cohort-maternal genetic susceptibility and cardiovascular genetic/clinical profile

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is the most common pregnancy-associated complication in the Western world. The syndrome is a major contributor to maternal and fetal illness/death. No therapeutic treatment exists. The mechanisms involved in development of PE remain to be elucidated. The strong familial component suggests that one or more common alleles may act as susceptibility genes. No candidate genes have been verified, but family-linkage analysis have revealed gene loci of probable maternal susceptibility. Inherit ance is belived to be multifactorial, with gene-gene and/or gene-environment interactions involved. This neccessitates large population-based genetic/epidemiological studies. This study aims to investigate the genetic substrate of the heritability of PE . Maternal genetic susceptibility will be studied in a large (n=3000) population-based (HUNT) case-control study, both with a genome-wide and candidate gene approach. This will be the largest genetic study for PE so far. PE and cardiovascular diseases s hare many risk factors, and PE women have an increased morbidity/mortality of cardiovascular diseases. In a comparative genetic analyses, we will use subgroups and maternal characteristics to determine whether PE women with the highest risk for metabolic syndrome/ cardiovascular diseases share gene characteristics with patients suffering from these diseases. Hopefully, data will suggest new therapeutic and prognostic approaches against PE. New knowledge will be generated about multifactorial inheritance, with special relevance for diseases characterized by metabolic syndrome manifestations. Also, the sharing of competence in the use of Illumina technology (now being introduced at NTNU/FUGE Midt-Norge) and statistical genetic analysis is an important a spect of this project.