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Isolation and Analysis of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from the Placenta
Published on: June 24, 2008
Healthy and pre-eclamptic placental basal plate lining cells: quantitative comparisons based on confocal laser
R K Smith1, C D Ockleford, S Byrne
1Advanced Light Microscope Facility, Department of Infection Immunity and Inflammation, School of Medicine and Biological Sciences, University of Leicester and Warwick Medical Schools, Leicester, LE1 9HN, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Immunocytochemical confocal laser scanning microscope images of the monolayer of cells lining the intervillus space at the basal plate of term placentae were analysed using stereology. Immunoreactively-distinct regions of this mosaic layer were measured. In basal plate from healthy pregnancies, trophoblast epithelium occupied 18.91% of the surface area and endothelium 60.81%. In pre-eclampsia the equivalent areas were 15.57% and 67.63%. Acellular fibrinoid covers the remaining area and this component decreases in area in pre-eclampsia. The statistically significant increase in the cellular endothelial compartment may be relevant to the hypertensive pathology of pre-eclampsia as endothelial signalling plays a major role in regulation of blood pressure.
