Fas and FasL expression in placentas complicated with intrauterine growth retardation with and without preeclampsia.

Objective: To compare the level of Fas and FasL immunohistochemical expression in villous trophoblast (VT), extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells, decidual cells (DC), endothelial cells (EC) of villous blood vessels and spiral arteries between the study groups of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) placentas with and without preeclampsia (PE).

Methods: The study included 17 placentas from pregnancies complicated by IUGR + PE and 17 placentas from pregnancies complicated by idiopathic IUGR (I-IUGR). Seventeen placentas from normal pregnancies served as a control group. CD31 was used to detect endothelial cells (EC). Immunohistochemical expression of Fas and FasL was assessed in all examined parts of placenta using the semi-quantitative HSCORE method.

Results: FasL expression was significantly higher in all examined parts of placenta in I-IUGR as compared to IUGR + PE and control group. Placentas with IUGR + PE had the significantly lowest expression of FasL in VT and EC of villi vessels. Expression of Fas did not differ significantly between the study groups.

Conclusion: Different expression of FasL in placentas from I-IUGR and IUGR + PE suggests that FasL probably has a different role in the etiology of these two syndromes.