title: Role of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor expression on placenta structure in pre-eclamptic pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disease that is characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 gestational weeks and complicates 3-8% of all pregnancies. It is classified as either mild or severe pre-eclampsia according to severity, and the aim of this study was to investigate the structural differences between these two classifications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Placenta samples were collected from 68 women who underwent cesarean delivery. Total volume of villi and numerical density of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)- and placental growth factor (PIGF)-positive cells were estimated on stereology and evaluated using one-way ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significantly difference in total villi volumes between the groups (P > 0.05). In contrast, on immunohistochemistry, the numerical density of VEGF-positive cells in severe pre-eclampsia was significantly different to the control and mild pre-eclampsia groups (P<0.05). Additionally, the numerical density of PIGF-positive cells in the mild and severe pre-eclampsia group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no relationship between villi volume and pre-eclampsia, although growth factors play a role in placental changes. The present results were supported by histopathology and several studies in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurtoglu
authors.affiliation: Histology and Embryology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berrin Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Altunkaynak
authors.affiliation: Histology and Embryology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Isinsu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.affiliation: Histology and Embryology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gamze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kokcu
authors.affiliation: Histology and Embryology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor
keywords: mild pre-eclampsia; placental growth factor; severe pre-eclampsia; stereology; vascular endothelial growth factor