Feto-maternal interactions in pregnancies: Placental microparticles activate peripheral blood monocytes
Normal pregnancy is associated with a systemic maternal inflammatory reaction, including the activation of peripheral blood monocytes. This reaction is exaggerated in pre-eclampsia, a severe placenta-dependent disorder of pregnancy specific to humans It has been suggested that placental syncytiotrophoblast membrane microparticles (STBM), which are released into the peripheral blood, may contribute
