Reduced umbilical and placental vascular prostacyclin in severe pre-eclampsia.

Prostacyclin production was significantly depressed in foetal and placental vascular tissues from five patients with severe pre-eclampsia in comparison to vascular tissues from women with uncomplicated pregnancy. Such an abnormality may be responsible for a reduced blood flow and defective fetal nutrition thus playing a major role in the pathogenesis of this syndrome.