[The macrophages in the placenta during labor].
OBJECTIVE
to verify the amount of CD68+ cells in chorionic villosities in placentae from gestations submitted or not to labor.


METHODS
transversal study with healthy near-term pregnant women, among whose placentae, 31 have been examined by immunohistochemical technique. Twenty placentae were obtained after vaginal delivery (VAGG) and eleven after elective cesarean sections (CESG). Slides were prepared with chorionic villosities samples and labeled with anti-CD68 antibody, specific for macrophages. Labeled and nonlabeled cells were counted inside the villosities. Non-parametric statistical tests were used for the analysis.


RESULTS
among the 6,424 cells counted in the villosities' stroma from the 31 placentae, 1,135 cells (17.6%) were stained by the CD68+. The mean of cells labeled by the anti-CD68 was 22+/-18 for the VAGG group and 20+/-16 for the CESG, in each placentary sample.


CONCLUSIONS
there were no significant differences in the percentage of macrophages (CD68+) in association with labor.
Alves
Júlio Augusto Gurgel
JA
Maternidade Escola Assis Chateaubriand, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil. juliogurgel@oi.com.br
Câmara
Lilia Maria Carneiro
LM
Costa
Fabrício da Silva
Fda S
Rocha
Rebeca Silveira
RS
de Araújo
Maria Neile Torres
MN
D000328:Adult; D002452:Cell Count; D002824:Chorionic Villi; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult