Placental Apoptosis from Pregnancies Complicated by Fetal Growth Restriction or Preeclampsia: Expression of Bcl-2, Bax and p53

Park, Jee Hyun; Kim, Se Ryun; Song, Eun Seop; Im, Moon Whan; Lee, Byoung Ick; Lee, Woo Young

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of apoptosis in placentas with pregnancy complicated by fetal growth restriction or preeclampsia as compared with normal term pregnancy placentas and to evaluate the expression of proapoptotic proteins Bax, p53 and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 in their placentas.
METHODS
Placentas were obtained from 40 normal term pregnancies and from 30 pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction or preeclampsia admitted for delivery to the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Inha university hospital from January 1 to November 30, 2003. Placental sections were examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, indicative of apoptosis. The expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, p53 in their placentas were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining.
RESULTS
Increased apoptosis was found in the trophoblast layer of villi from pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction or preeclampsia (n=30) compared to normal pregnancies (n=40) (0.93 +/- 0.54: 1.5 +/- 1.2) (p=0.014, t-test). There was no statistical significance between the two groups in expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, p53 (p=0.073, p=0.424, p=0.208, chi-square test).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that placental apoptosis may play a role in the pathogenesis of fetal growth restriction or preeclampsia. But placental apoptosis does not seem to be mediated by Bcl-2, Bax, p53 in trophoblasts.