title: Villus packing density and lacunarity: Markers of placental efficiency?
abstract: We evaluate, in routine H&E histology slides, villus quantity in a given area (villous packing density, VPD) and the pattern or "gappiness" of villous distribution (lacunarity), and test for correlations with a proxy for fetoplacental metabolic rate, β calculated as (ln (placental weight)/ln (birthweight)) from Kleiber's law [1]. Three ∼4.3 mm2images each were obtained from 88 term placentas. Ranges of VPD and lacunarity were each correlated with β (r = 0.31, p = 0.003, r = 0.23, p = 0.03 and respectively). The relationship between β and within-placenta variation in VPD and lacunarity highlights the need to study not merely the mean but the variance of villous geometries and spatial distributions.
authors.affiliation: Placental Analytics, LLC, New Rochelle, NY, USA.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Placental Analytics, LLC, New Rochelle, NY, USA; Institute for Basic Research, Staten Island, NY, USA. Electronic address: carolyn.salafia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Salafia
authors.affiliation: Placental Analytics, LLC, New Rochelle, NY, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.affiliation: Institute for Basic Research, Staten Island, NY, USA.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Merz
mesh_terms: D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: Image segmentation; Lacunarity; Placenta; Placental efficiency; Villus packing density