A longitudinal study was performed on normal pregnant women and women with chronic hypertension who had a high incidence of superimposed preeclampsia. In a previous study, the investigators had demonstrated that preeclampsia was associated with reduced urinary excretion of calcium and with lower plasma renin activity (PRA) compared with normal pregnancy. The goal of the investigators was to identify the metabolic and cellular basis for these alterations in calcium homeostasis and in the renin angiotensin system. They tested two hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that diminished placental and/or renal production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, leading to lower serum calcium, higher parathyroid hormone, and increased renal tubular reabsorption of calcium, was the metabolic basis for hypocalciuria in preeclampsia. The second hypothesis was that lower PRA in preeclampsia was due to systemic and renal vasoconstriction with hypertension and diminished natriuresis.