title: [Human chagasic placenta: structural and cytochemical changes of blood vessels].
abstract: Various authors have demonstrated that coronary blood vessels could have some participation in the pathogenesis of the cardiac alterations of Chagas' disease. The purpose of this work was to detect structural and cytochemical modifications of blood vessels in human chagasic placentas at term with optical and electron microscopy due their possible participation in the pathogenesis of the congenital transmission of the disease. In two of the six chagasic placentas at term from pregnant women with positive serology, there was diminution and occlusion of the lumen of the chorionic villi blood vessels, with hialine aspect of their walls. An increase of acid phosphatase activity in the endothelium was also observed with electron microscopy. The diminished blood vessel lumen could be due to smooth muscle and endothelium participation.
authors.affiliation: Ila. Cátedra de Histología, Embriología y Genética e Instituto de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Fretes
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: de Fabro
mesh_terms: D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy