Association of maternal KIR and fetal HLA-C genes with the risk of preeclampsia in the Chinese Han population

The results suggest that a KIR genetic variation might influence the risk of preeclampsia. The lack of activating KIRs could possibly lower uterine natural killer (uNK) cell activation, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Moreover, the imbalance of the inhibitory or activating signals at the maternal-fetal interface seems to play a regulatory role in the occurrence of preeclampsia.