title: Placental expression of vimentin, desmin and ultrastructural changes in the villi in patients with HELLP syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine placental expression of vimentin and desmin in relation to ultrastructural changes within the placental villi in cases of HELLP syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of 15 healthy pregnant and 13 Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome, placentas were used for Harris hematoxylin staining, vimentin and desmin immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased of fibrinoid necrosis in vascular wall and the periphery of villi were observed in sections of the placentas with HELLP syndrome. Increased expression of vimentin in the intravillous area and increased expression of desmin on blood vessel wall, were seen in placentas of patients with HELLP syndrome when compared to placentas of healthy pregnant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Augmentation of intermediate filaments, desmin, vimentin may disturb normal movements of endothelial cells, and may display placental dysfunction that is unable to compensate the endothelial instability and the related hypertension in HELLP syndrome. Further studies are needed to get more definit results and also to compare HELLP syndrome with preeclampsia.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. drmesak@yahoo.com
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Sak
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Deveci
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Turgut
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sak
authors: M S
authors: MS
authors: Evsen
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Gul
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kalkanli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003893:Desmin / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003893:Desmin; D014746:Vimentin