Dietary Salicylates and Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is an important pregnancy complication and cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. The underlying etiology and pathophysiology of preeclampsia is incompletely understood but it involves dysfunctional cytotrophoblastic invasion, placental ischemia, and release of inflammatory and endothelial mediators. Placenta dysfunction in PE is related to angiogenic balance. Currently, therapeutic options for the prevention and treatment of PE are limited. It is known that the risk of PE is reduced by low-dose aspirin. Therefore, the influence of salicylates on the development of PE seems to need to be investigated. This project plans to examine the preventive effects of food sources of salicylic acid and compare their effects with aspirin. Therefore, the aim of the present study is thus answer the following questions. whether the maternal dietary intake of salicylates is related to placental angiogenesis; 2. whether naturally occurring salicylates have the same effects on preeclampsia development and placental angiogenesis as aspirin. To answer these questions we plan to carry out a human study with pregnant women.

Due to the above the planned research aims to determine the association between maternal dietary intake of salicylates and placental angiogenesis and the risk of preeclampsia development.

Although PE remains an incurable disease, the results of this project will enable the development of dietary recommendations for the prevention and treatment of preeclampsia. Moreover, the results of this study may be useful in lowering the cost of maternal and fetal complications from preeclampsia and the cost of their hospitalization.