Short communication: trophoblast proliferation is increased in chorionic villi from pregnancies with fetal trisomy 18.
Pregnancies with fetal trisomy 18 suffer from severe intrauterine growth restriction from the first trimester. This cross-sectional study of chorionic villi obtained from ongoing singleton pregnancies at 10-14 weeks of gestation, semiquantitatively examines chorionic villus stromal and trophoblastic cell proliferation rates in ongoing chromosomally normal and trisomy 18 pregnancies. Chorionic villi were stained using a standard immunohistochemistry protocol with a monoclonal antibody to the Ki-67 antigen and the number of Ki-67 positive trophoblastic and stromal cells per villous cross-section was compared between groups. The number of Ki-67 positive trophoblastic and stromal cells was significantly higher in the group (n=10) with trisomy 18 compared to the chromosomally normal group (n=25;t=2.1, P=0.03 and t=5.3, P<0.001 respectively). Abnormalities in control of cell turnover during development may be important in the pathogenesis of the clinical features of trisomic pregnancies.
Department of Histopathology, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
N J
NJ
Sebire
D
D
Fowler
L
L
Roberts
S
S
Mahmood
K H
KH
Nicolaides
D000328:Adult; D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D014314:Trisomy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen