RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The presence of thrombosis in preeclampsia suggests that endothelial function could play an important role in its pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE: Determine the association between markers of genetic thrombophilia, endothelial activation and preeclampsia. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Prospective study of cases and controls to determine the factor V Leiden existence, protrombin G20210A, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T, activated protein C resistance and levels of von Willebrand factor and the sFlt1 receptor were determined in 28 women with preeclampsia and 41 pregnant controls. RESULTS: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T had a high allelic frequency (0.50). Even in the absence of factor V Leiden, there were significant differences in the prevalence of activated protein C resistance and abnormal levels of sFlt1 between patients with preeclampsia homozygous for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and controls (72 vs. 10%, p <0.008 and 63.6 vs. 10%, p < 0.05, respectively). Patients with two or more abnormal tests, including homozygousity for the C677T allele had an increased risk of preeclampsia than those with one or no abnormal test (OR: 3.15; CI: 1.1-9.02). CONCLUSION: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T has a high allelic prevalence and is associated with markers of thrombosis and endothelial activation in Mexican women with preeclampsia.