title: Expression of β human chorionic gonadotropin in the placenta of gestational diabetic mothers: an immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate morphologic differences of the placenta in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes compared to nondiabetic pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a comparative morphological study of the placentas from 20 women with gestational diabetes and 20 healthy pregnancies at 28-35 weeks of gestation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of lesions such as fibrinoid necrosis, villous edema, syncytial knot and vascular lesions like chorangiosis was apparent, mainly in the diabetes group. There was an apparent decrease in the intensity of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) immunostaining in the syncytiotrophoblast from the 28th to 35th weeks of gestation in the placentas of the healthy control group. No hCG immunostaining was observed in the villous or intervillous areas of any of the placentas. In diabetic placentas the expression of hCG was homogeneous with a moderate to intense immunoreactivity in the syncytiotrophoblast. Several syncytiotrophoblast cells showed dilations of both rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and loss and alteration of microvilli, and large vacuoles were observed just below the plasma membrane, as well as irregularities in the mitochondria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Syncytial cells play an important role in the placental transition. Increased expression of beta-hCG, deterioration, degeneration of organelles and cell structure and the basal membrane disorder in chorionic vessels were seen in placentas with gestational diabetes. These changes can affect placental transfer. However, further studies are needed to clarify this issue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muhammed Erdal
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sak
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deveci
authors.forename: Mehmet Siddik
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Evsen
authors.forename: Sevgi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalkanhi
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baran
authors.forename: Selver
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozekinci
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Seker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009035:Mothers; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C063554:urinary gonadotropin fragment