Analysis of placental dysfunction in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia and HELLP

Complications of pregnancy like PE, HELLP or IUGR are associated with abnormal placentation. In early pregnancy cytotrophoblasts (CT) fuse and form multinuclear syncytiotrophoblasts (SCT) representing the outer layer of the chorionic villi. The envelope gene of the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-W, Syncytin is expressed in SCT and mediates CT fusion. Apoptosis is crucial to development and homeostasis of human tissues, including the placenta, but the mechanism of apoptosis in CT is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the process of cell fusion and apoptosis in normal placentas compared to PE, H…