Objective To study the placental tissues in the patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy in a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) family, including ADAMTS-2 and ADAMTS-7, to explore their role in hypertension disorder complicating pregnancy. Methods The placenta samples were collected from 60 patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and 40 normal patient women in this hospital between July 2011 and November 2009, using immunohistochemical detection to examine the positive expression of ADAMTS-2 and ADAMTS-7, using normal late pregnancy to control over the same period. A microscope was used to observe the scale and intensity of the staining positive cells. Results The expression rates of ADAMTS-2 in positive group and the control group were 80% and 25%, respectively; the positive rates of expression of ADAMTS-7 were 65% and 95%, respectively (P<0.01). The expression of ADAMTS-2 in hypertension disorder complicating pregnancy is mainly expressed in the cytosol, stromal and endothelial cells. It expressed stronger in interstitial fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and collagen fibers stain. But it expressed lower in normal group. The expression of ADAMTS-7 was significantly higher in the normal group, it mainly expressed in trophoblast cells and endothelial cells, located in the cytoplasm. It expressed lower in hypertension disorder complicating pregnancy group. Conclusions The increased expression of ADAMTS-2 in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and the reduced expression of ADAMTS-7 in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy may be closely associated with the onset and progression of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.