Maternal progesterone levels as measured either in the placenta or plasma were increased in women with preeclampsia [89,94], and both progesterone and estradiol were reported to positively stimulate CYP11A1 and HSD3B1 expression in trophoblast cells increasing the abundance of P450scc and 3β-HSD type 1 mRNAs but had no significant effect on the amount of 3β-HSD protein [95]. This evidence concerns the gene HSD3B1 and preeclampsia.