Preeclampsia is a complex disease, exclusive of human pregnancy and responsible for high perinatal morbidity and mortality. It has been called the disease of multiple theories, in which both environmental and genetic factors have been associated with its development. For the identification of candidate genes associated with PE, two types of methodology have been used, association studies and linkage studies. This article explains the rationale for both studies and reviews the main candidate genes within the pathophysiology of the disease, including those that code for the enzymes methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, lipoprotein lipase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase; factor V Leiden, angiotensinogen, HLA-G, and necrotumor factor alpha