Late sporadic miscarriage is associated with abnormalities in spiral artery transformation and trophoblast invasion

E Ball, JN Bulmer, S Ayis, F Lyall… - The Journal of …, 2006 - Wiley Online Library
E Ball, JN Bulmer, S Ayis, F Lyall, SC Robson
The Journal of Pathology: A Journal of the Pathological Society of …, 2006Wiley Online Library
Trophoblast invasion of uterine decidua and myometrium, and spiral artery transformation,
are essential for the development of normal pregnancy; this process is impaired in
preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and pre-term labour. The hypothesis that late
miscarriage is associated with reduced trophoblast invasion and spiral artery transformation
was tested in a large series of placental bed biopsies containing decidua and myometrium
from late, karyotyped, embryonic miscarriage (≥ 13 weeks' gestation; n= 26; n= 96 spiral …
Abstract
Trophoblast invasion of uterine decidua and myometrium, and spiral artery transformation, are essential for the development of normal pregnancy; this process is impaired in preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and pre-term labour. The hypothesis that late miscarriage is associated with reduced trophoblast invasion and spiral artery transformation was tested in a large series of placental bed biopsies containing decidua and myometrium from late, karyotyped, embryonic miscarriage (≥ 13 weeks’ gestation; n= 26; n= 96 spiral arteries) and gestationally matched ultrasound-dated normal pregnancies (n= 74; n= 236 spiral arteries). Cryostat sections were immunostained using an avidin–biotin peroxidase technique for cytokeratin, desmin, and von Willebrand factor to detect trophoblast, myometrium, and vascular smooth muscle and endothelium, respectively. Trophoblast invasion and individual features of spiral artery transformation were assessed and analysed using a logistic regression model. Compared with normal pregnancy, myometrial spiral arteries in late miscarriage showed reduced endovascular (4% vs. 31%, p= 0. 001) and intramural trophoblast (76% vs. 88%, p= 0. 05), and less extensive fibrinoid change (4% vs. 18%, p= 0. 01). In contrast, endovascular trophoblast in decidual spiral arteries was increased (40% vs. 66%, p= 0. 04). These findings suggest that, in common with pre-eclampsia, late sporadic miscarriage may be associated with reduced trophoblast invasion and inadequate transformation of myometrial spiral arteries.
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