title: Placental ultrastructural changes and apoptosis in pregnancies with meconium stained amniotic fluid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The cause of meconium stained amniotic fluid in term healthy pregnancies is not clearly understood yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the placental ultrastructural changes and placental apoptosis in pregnancies complicated with meconium stained amniotic fluid.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group was composed of mothers (n: 13) and their term, appropriate for gestational age newborns with meconium stained amniotic fluid but without meconium aspiration syndrome. The control group consisted of mothers (n: 24) and their term appropriate for gestational age babies. We studied placental ultrastructural changes by transmission electron microscopy and placental apoptosis by transmission electron microscopy and the TUNEL method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of placental apoptosis by the TUNEL method was significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group. Transmission electron microscopy investigation revealed more remarkable ultrastructural changes in the study group compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased apoptosis and ultrastructural findings in placentas with meconium stained amniotic fluid may be related to the placental adaptation to the hypoxic fetuses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Marmara University, Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ziya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yurdakul
authors.forename: Hüseyin Kemal
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Türköz
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bılgen
authors.forename: Seyhun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solakoğlu
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kavuncuoğlu
authors.forename: Eren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008470:Meconium / Q000378:metabolism*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010920:Placenta / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult