Immunohistochemical study of the morphological changes in placental villi from fetal membranes infectious disease.

Unlabelled: Many types of infection cause placental changes but sometimes the etiological cause may be difficult to prove. Infections may ascend from endocervical canal or they may reach placenta hematogenously through the maternal blood. Typically, placenta of "the amnionic sac infection syndrome" is an immature placenta. Complex cellular mechanisms are involved in all types of infection that often are associated with placental insufficiency.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate cellular changes induced by the hypoxic conditions due to infectious disease in the placental villous structures, especially in the trophoblast layer and vascular bed.

Material And Methods: In order to label the trophoblast layer we used anti-cytokeratin cocktail AE1/AE3. Antibodies anti-VEGF and anti-c-ErbB4 were used for the evaluation of tissue response under hypoxic conditions and its involvement in villous remodeling.

Results: Chorion villi from placentas with histopathological features of insufficiency due to infectious etiology show an intense immunostaining for VEGF in the trophoblast, vessel walls and some stromal cells, namely Hofbauer cells. Villous trophoblast from the infected placenta expresses c-ErbB4 receptor.

Conclusions: Overexpression of VEGF and c-ErbB4 is needed for the involvement of trophoblast layer in villous remodeling processes in order to maintain placental functionality under the effects of the inflammatory cascade.