Definition:

"Hypertension exacerbated by pregnancy" is a syndrome similar to Apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) with autosomal dominant early-onset hypertension. The affected individuals have a gain of function mutation in the human mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), resulting in constitutively stimulated Na reabsorption. Hypertension is present in nonpregnant patients and may be severe, but the characteristic feature is marked worsening during pregnancy. The proposed explanation is that the mutation renders the receptor sensitive to nonmineralocorticoid steroids such as progesterone, the level of which rises 100-fold during pregnancy.