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Differential apoptotic activity in trophoblast of spontaneous abortions and normal pregnancies
Affiliations- Laboratories of Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
- Laboratories of Physiology Faculty of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
- Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Medical Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
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Abstract
Introduction. Apoptosis is a key process during normal trophoblastic development and, consequently, the whole gestation. However, in trophoblastic differentiation in spontaneous abortions apoptosis has been hardly investigated. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between apoptotic frequency in trophoblast and spontaneous abortion incidences.
Material and methods. A total of 72 trophoblastic tissue samples were immunohistochemically examined. 42 of 72 derived from first-trimester spontaneous abortions and the remaining 30 from elective terminations during the same trimester of pregnancy. TUNEL assay and M30 marker were used for apoptosis evaluation by immunohistochemistry.
Results. Comparative study of tissues from spontaneous abortions and elective pregnancy terminations demonstrated increased expression of both apoptotic markers in tissues derived from spontaneous abortions compared to normal pregnancies. In addition, statistical analysis correlated maternal age and gravidity with increased spontaneous abortion incidences. Moreover, both M30 and TUNEL staining were significantly correlated with maternal age and primigravidity in spontaneous abortion cases.
Conclusions. Our data proved that elevated apoptotic activity during the first pregnancy trimester is clearly involved in spontaneous abortions. Moreover, two well-established apoptotic markers revealed high statistical significance in the evaluation of post-abortive tissues.
Abstract
Introduction. Apoptosis is a key process during normal trophoblastic development and, consequently, the whole gestation. However, in trophoblastic differentiation in spontaneous abortions apoptosis has been hardly investigated. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between apoptotic frequency in trophoblast and spontaneous abortion incidences.
Material and methods. A total of 72 trophoblastic tissue samples were immunohistochemically examined. 42 of 72 derived from first-trimester spontaneous abortions and the remaining 30 from elective terminations during the same trimester of pregnancy. TUNEL assay and M30 marker were used for apoptosis evaluation by immunohistochemistry.
Results. Comparative study of tissues from spontaneous abortions and elective pregnancy terminations demonstrated increased expression of both apoptotic markers in tissues derived from spontaneous abortions compared to normal pregnancies. In addition, statistical analysis correlated maternal age and gravidity with increased spontaneous abortion incidences. Moreover, both M30 and TUNEL staining were significantly correlated with maternal age and primigravidity in spontaneous abortion cases.
Conclusions. Our data proved that elevated apoptotic activity during the first pregnancy trimester is clearly involved in spontaneous abortions. Moreover, two well-established apoptotic markers revealed high statistical significance in the evaluation of post-abortive tissues.
Keywords
spontaneous abortion; trophoblast; apoptosis; TUNEL assay; M30 marker; IHC
About this articleTitle
Differential apoptotic activity in trophoblast of spontaneous abortions and normal pregnancies
Journal
Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica
Issue
Article type
Original paper
Pages
24-30
Published online
2022-01-17
Page views
5682
Article views/downloads
385
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2022;60(1):24-30.
Keywords
spontaneous abortion
trophoblast
apoptosis
TUNEL assay
M30 marker
IHC
Authors
Theodora-Eleftheria Deftereou
Avgi Tsolou
Anastasios Liberis
Kyriaki Georgiadi
Triantafyllos Alexiadis
Olga Pagonopoulou
Christina-Angelika Alexiadi
Maria Simopoulou
Grigorios Tripsianis
Maria Lambropoulou
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