Biomarkers in pre-eclampsia: a novel approach to early detection of the disease.

Pre-eclampsia is a unique disorder of human pregnancy with a great impact on maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide and especially in developing countries. The aetiology is still unknown and the pathophysiology of the disease is the subject of extensive investigation. Recently, much of the interest of the investigators for the prediction of pre-eclampsia has been aimed at measurable manifestations of abnormal placentation, endothelial dysfunction and feto-maternal unit perfusion.