title: A comparative study of apoptosis in placentas of normal and preeclamptic Indian pregnant women by TUNEL assay and M30 immunostaining.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preeclampsia is a unique life-threatening disorder of human pregnancy associated with the abnormal placentation caused by the inadequate trophoblastic invasion due to altered apoptosis of these cells. The aim of the present study was to assess and compare the apoptosis in trophoblastic cells in various zones (villous and extravillous) of placentas of preeclamptic and normotensive nonproteinuric pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hematoxylin eosin staining, TUNEL assay and M30 immunostaining techniques were used for studying apoptosis in trophoblastic cells of placentas of two groups. The results of apoptotic indices by these techniques were compared in preeclamptic group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TUNEL apoptotic indices were higher in all the zones of placentas of preeclamptic group as compared to control group though the results were not statistically significant. M30 immunostaining also gave higher apoptotic indices in all the zones of preeclamptic placentas as compared to the normal group but the result of apoptotic index of basal plate was not statistically significant. M30 immunostaining was absent in stromal cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, the trophoblastic apoptotic rates were more in villous as well as extravillous zones of preeclamptic placentas as compared to normal placentas and M30 immunostaining was found to be more sensitive and specific for the apoptotic trophoblastic cells as compared to TUNEL assay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India. dr.mona18sharma@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Neerja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhatla
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dhingra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007194:India; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology