Abstract: Pre-eclampsia is a severe complication of pregnancy, which has complicated etiopathogenesis as well as unknown pathogenesis. The injury of vascular endothelial cells is one of the key factors in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Endothelial progenitor cells endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are precursor cells of endothelial cells, which can home to the site of injury and differentiate into mature endothelial cells, repair damaged blood vessels. The number and function of circulating EPCs during pregnancy may be related to the incidence of preeclampsia and the development of disease process. Release of inflammatory factors induced by ischemia and hypoxia, resulting in the proliferation, migration and differentiation ability of EPCs were decreased, and the ability of angiogenesis was weakened. The damaged endothelial cells can′t be repaired and replenished in time. Endothelial cell injury is aggravated and dysfunction, and then the clinical symptoms such as elevated blood pressure, proteinuria, edema and so on are appeared. EPCs transplantation may become a new method for clinical treatment of preeclampsia. The clarification of regulation factors and mechanism of EPCs will provide the basis for the application of EPCs in the treatment of preeclampsia.

Key words: Pre-eclampsia, Hypertension, pregnancy-induced, Endothelial cells, Endothelial progenitor cells