Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of inflammatory infiltrate and alterations of the blood flow in the etiopathogenesis of the basement membrane of the amniotic epithelium (BMAE) thickening in patients with hypertensive syndromes in pregnancy

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the mechanisms involved in the etiology of the basement membrane of the amniotic epithelium (BMAE) thickening in patients with hypertensive syndromes in pregnancy (HSP).

Methods

Eighty placentas from patients presenting HSP were morphologically examined in staining through hematoxylin–eosin and periodic acid Schiff method. Placental morphological changes were classified into: diagnostic of low placental blood flow, characterized by a larger number of syncytial knots, fibrin deposits, and a larger number of vessels in terminal villi; and placentas with inflammation that presented inflammatory infiltrate in membranes or placental villi. Measurements of thickness were made with an automatic image analyzing software.

Results

BMAE thickness was higher in the group with HSP, particularly in cases with gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension (PSCH). In the placentas of the HSP group, the thickness of the BMAE was higher in cases with inflammatory infiltrate. There was a positive and significant correlation between the BMAE thickness and the thickness of the amniotic epithelium. The BMAE thickening areas were associated with hyperplasia and edema of the amniotic epithelium.

Conclusions

BMAE thickening in cases with HSP is more evident when there is an interaction between the severe effects of uteroplacental hypoxia, with consequent death and remodelling of the amniotic epithelium cells, as in PSCH, with local inflammatory processes that make this thickening much more evident.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yurchenco PD (2011) Basement membranes: cell scaffoldings and signaling platforms. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 3(2)

  2. Vadillo-Ortega F, González-Avila G, Furth EE et al (1995) 92-Kd type IV collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-9) activity in human amniochorion increases with labor. Am J Pathol 146(1):148–156

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Verbeek JH, Robertson EM, Haust MD (1967) Basement membranes (amniotic, trophoblastic, capillary) and adjacent tissue in term placenta. An electron microscopic study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 99(8):1136–1146

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Oliveira JA, Levy RA, Avvad E, Porto LC (1996) Histologia placentária nas gestações de alto risco: lúpus eritematoso sistêmico e pré-eclâmpsia. J Bras Ginecol 106(9):323–334

    Google Scholar 

  5. Harrington B, Glazier J, D’Souza S, Sibley C (1999) System A amino acid transporter activity in human placental microvillous membrane vesicles in relation to various anthropometric measurements in appropriate and small for gestational age babies. Pediatr Res 45(6):810–814

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lafond J, Charest MC, Alain JF et al (1999) Presence of CLA-1 and HDL binding sites on syncytiotrophoblast brush border and basal plasma membranes of human placenta. Placenta 20:583–590

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Castro EC, Cesar Peres L (1999) Vocal cord basement membrane in non-sudden infant death syndrome cases. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2(5):440–445

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Jones CJP, Fox H (1976) An ultrastructural and ultrahistochemical study of the placenta of the diabetic woman. J Path 119:91–99

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Asmussen I (1977) Ultrastructure of the human placenta at term. Acta Obstet Scand 56:119–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jones CJP, Fox H (1978) Ultrastructure of the placenta in prolonged pregnancy. J Path 126:173–179

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Jones CJP, Fox H (1980) An ultrastructural and ultrahistochemical study of the human placenta in maternal pre-eclampsia. Placenta 1:61–67

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Soma H, Yoshida K, Mukaida T, Tabuchi Y (1982) Morphologic changes in the hypertensive placenta. Contrib Gynecol Obstet 9:58–75

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Rudnicki M, Junge J, Frølich A, Ornvold K, Fischer-Rasmussen W (1990) Magnesium supplement in pregnancy-induced hypertension—a clinicopathological study. APMIS 98:1123–1127

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Belela ASC, Corrêa RRM, Paschoini MC et al (2004) The amniotic epithelium basal membrane thickening and hypertensive syndromes during pregnancy. Rev Med Minas Gerais 14:221–225

    Google Scholar 

  15. Yamada M, Steketee R, Abramowsky C et al (1989) Plasmodium falciparum associated placental pathology: a light and electron microscopic and immunohistologic study. Am J Trop Med Hyg 41(2):161–168

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fox H (1981) Invited review. A contemporary approach to placental pathology. Pathology 13:207–223

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wang VT, Reale E, Schneider J (1979) Amnionepithel bei Hydramnion. Fortschr 97(21):1009–1012

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wang T (1981) Amniotic epithelium in rhesus incompatibility: light and electron microscopic examination. Placenta 2(1):35–43

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Seckin I, Aydinli K, Satiroglu G, Isiloglu H (1990) Electron microscopic study of the amniotic epithelium in polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios. Zentralbl Gynakol 112(24):1509–1517

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Jollie WP (1984) Changes in the fine structure of rat visceral yolk-sac placenta during prolonged pregnancy. Am J Anat 171:1–14

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Castro EC, Reis MA, Teixeira VP (2004) Thickening of the amnion basement membrane and its relationship to placental inflammatory lesions and fetal and maternal disorders. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 114(2):171–176

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Gifford RW (2000) Report of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on high blood pressure in pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 183:S1–S22

    Google Scholar 

  23. Driscoll SG, Langston C (1991) Placental examination in a clinical setting. Arch Pathol Lab Med 115(7):668–671

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Benirsckhe K, Kaufmann P (1995) Pathology of the human placenta, 3rd edn. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  25. Corrêa RRM, Gilio DB, Cavellani CL, Paschoini MC, Oliveira FA, Peres LC, Reis MA, Teixeira VPA, Castro ECC (2008) Placental morphometrical and histopathology changes in the different clinical presentations of hypertensive syndromes in pregnancy. Arch Gynecol Obstet 277:201–206

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Mitra SC, Venkataseshan VS, von Hagen S, Barton PT, Delshad G, Gil J (1997) Morphometric study of the placental vessels and its correlation with umbilical artery Doppler flow. Obstet Gynecol 89:238–241

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Alberts B (1994) Cell junctions, cell adhesion, and the extracellular matrix. Molecular biology of the cell, 3rd edn. Garland Publishing, New York

    Google Scholar 

  28. Vracko R, Benditt EP (1970) Capillary basal lamina thickening. Its relationship to endothelial cell death and replacement. J Cell Biol 47(1):281–285

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Vracko R, Benditt EP (1972) Basal lamina: the scaffold for orderly cell replacement. Observations on regeneration of injured skeletal muscle fibers and capillaries. J Cell Biol 55(2):406–419

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and Fundação de Ensino e Pesquisa de Uberaba (FUNEPU).

Conflict of interest

I certify that no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this article exists

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Disciplina de Patologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Rua Frei Paulino, 30, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, 38025-180, Brazil

    Rosana Rosa Miranda Corrêa, Camila Souza de Oliveira Guimarães, Laura Penna Rocha, Karla Roberta Martins Pucci, Nidhâna Claudino & Ayandra Versiani do Valle Ramos

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, S-417 BST 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Eumênia Costa da Cunha Castro

Authors
  1. Rosana Rosa Miranda Corrêa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Camila Souza de Oliveira Guimarães
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Laura Penna Rocha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karla Roberta Martins Pucci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Nidhâna Claudino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ayandra Versiani do Valle Ramos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Eumênia Costa da Cunha Castro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rosana Rosa Miranda Corrêa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Corrêa, R.R.M., Guimarães, C.S.O., Rocha, L.P. et al. Influence of inflammatory infiltrate and alterations of the blood flow in the etiopathogenesis of the basement membrane of the amniotic epithelium (BMAE) thickening in patients with hypertensive syndromes in pregnancy. Arch Gynecol Obstet 286, 1117–1121 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2429-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2429-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation