Placental Apoptosis in Preeclampsia : Obstetrics & Gynecology (original) (raw)
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
ALLAIRE, ALEXANDER D. MD, MSPH; BALLENGER, KELLY A. MD; WELLS, STEVEN R. MD; MCMAHON, MICHAEL J. MD, MPH; LESSEY, BRUCE A. MD, PhD
Divisions of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Address reprint requests to: Alexander D. Allaire, MD, MSPH Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 214 MacNider Campus Box #7570 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7570 E-mail: [email protected]
Received December 10, 1999. Received in revised form February 23, 2000. Accepted March 16, 2000.
Objective
To determine whether preeclampsia is associated with an increase in placental apoptosis and differential expression of mediators of apoptosis.
Methods
Placental samples from 31 preeclamptic women and 31 normotensive controls were analyzed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling staining. Expression of Fas, Fas ligand, Bcl-2, and Bax was assessed using immunohistochemistry.
Results
The median percent apoptotic nuclei was significantly higher for the study group than for the controls (0.49 versus 0.19; P = .001), as was the median percent apoptotic nuclei in the trophoblast nuclei (0.33 versus 0.09; P < .01). Fas ligand expression was significantly less and Fas expression significantly greater in the villus trophoblast among the study subjects compared with controls. There was no difference in the expression of Bax or Bcl-2 between groups.
Conclusion
Placental apoptosis and altered expression of Fas and Fas ligand in trophoblast might influence pathogenesis or sequelae of preeclampsia.
© 2000 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists