The central role of the placenta in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia is undisputed. The
evidence that maternal syndrome of pre-eclampsia is caused by a maternal systemic
inflammatory response (MSIR) is reviewed. The polymorphic nature of the inflammatory
network explains the diversity of the varied signs of this condition. A key observation is that
an MSIR is also a feature of normal third trimester pregnancy, but less severe than in pre-
eclampsia. Hence pre-eclampsia is simply the extreme end of a continuum common to all …