[Hydroxyproline concentration in normal and pathologic altered placentae of the second part of pregnancy (author's...

By using microanalytic Hydroxyproline (HP)-determination method (Woessner and Stegemann) the content of collagen in 50 normal and pathologicaltered placentae of the second part of pregnancy was measured. A positive linear correlation is demonstrated between HP-concentration and age of pregnancy in normal placentae. Most of the pathologic altered placentae have a lower content of collagen. HP-content measured in main stem and terminal villi of further 35 placentae showed the essential influence of the main stem villi on total placental collagen concentration. In the second part of gestation the HP-concentrations of the main stem villi rise on a factor about 5-6, in the terminal villi they remain constant. The values measured within both groups of villi show a great dispersion. The quantitative results were compared with the histology of the placentae.