Abstract
BACKGROUND: Telocytes (TCs) are networking cells with enigmatic functions. Placenta is a noninnervated organ with the TCs could have function of signal transmission to placental myofibroblasts, being likely a regulator for maternal blood flow. Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease complicating the second half of pregnancy associated with hypoxia probably due to failure of vascular remodeling of spiral arteries resulting in poor placental perfusion. We hypothesized that disturbance in the morphology of TCs may have a role in the pathogenesis of PE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women with normal or physiological pregnancy (Group I; 15 women) and with PE (Group II; 15 women) participated in this study. Specimens were obtained from the central cotyledons and the superficial myometrium beneath the implantation sites processed for light microscopy and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, toluidine blue, masson trichrome, and CD117. RESULTS: The villi of group II has thick-walled blood vessels with increased peri-villous fibrinoid deposition, reduced areas of vasculosyncytial membrane and apparent increase in connective tissue density. Morphometric study and statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in the mean number of syncytial knots and significant decrease in placental (villous and decidual) and myometrial TCs and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) beneath the placental implantation site in Group II (P < 0.011) in comparison with group I. CONCLUSIONS: PE is associated with significantly low number of placental TCs interestingly with low number of EVTs. Further studies are needed to support our findings.