Increased placental apoptosis in term pregnancies complicated by precclampsia or intrauterine growth retardation

Abstract EN

Objective : To determine whether preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation (1UGR) are associated with an increase in placental apoptosis.

Design : A prospective observational case-control study.

Setting : Obstetrics and Gynecology Department and Anatomy Department of Umm Al-Qura University, Makah, KSA.

Participants : Forty pregnant women, between 37 and 40 weeks of gestation, admitted to the Obstetric Unit of Umm Al-Qura University Teaching Hospitals (Al Noor and Maternity Hospitals).

Methods : Tissue specimens from 20 normal term placentas and each of 10 term placentas complicated by preeclampsia or IUGR were analyzed.

Apoptotic nuclear changes were quantified using light microscopy performed on hematoxylin and eosin stained placental tissue.

Main outcome measures : Apoptotic number and apoptotic index in the nuclei of cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts.

Results : Apoptosis was apparent in the nuclei of both cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts.

There were no significant differences in the apoptotic index in cytotrophoblast nuclei among normal term, preeclampsia term, and IUGR term placentas (P > 0.05), whereas the apoptotic index of syncytiotrophoblasl nuclei in either preeclampsia term placentas or IUGR term placentas was significantly higher than (hat in normal term placentas (P < 0.05).

Conclusions : The apoptotic index of syncytiotrophoblast nuclei in preeclampsia and IUGR term placentas was significantly higher than that in normal term placentas.

Further studies to determine factors responsible for regulating apoptosis of trophoblasts are needed to provide new insight into understanding of the molecular basis of path physiology of the placentas complicated by either preeclampsia or IUGR.