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.
Sebire
N J
NJ
Department of Histopathology, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
Fowler
D
D
Roberts
L
L
Mahmood
S
S
Nicolaides
K H
KH
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