PREGNANCY AS AN IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE STATE: COVID-19 AND PRE-ECLAMPSIA; A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

This article sought to address the correlation between COVID-19 and pre-eclampsia, two conditions that have a high probability of complication if not properly diagnosed, and which can overlap during pregnancy. The aim of this review was to establish a connection between the two diseases in order to improve the care of pregnant women. The methodology included a narrative literature review using the PubMed and BVS databases. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 relevant articles were selected. The study showed that pregnant women who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy were at greater risk of developing pre-eclampsia, especially those who already had the risk factors shared by the two diseases. The possibility was also encouraged that a syndrome that mimics pre-eclampsia is responsible for the increase in cases in this category of pregnant women. The conclusions indicate the existence, even if partially elucidated, of a relationship between pre-eclampsia and COVID-19, because their pathophysiology is similar and leads to endothelitis, which is accentuated by the immunosuppressive state of pregnancy, and therefore increases the risk of pregnancy. This highlights the importance of close monitoring of this group, as well as the need for early screening for pre-eclampsia in these pregnant women.