[Bcl-2, TGFbeta1, and apoptosis in placenta tissues in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy]

To determine the apoptosis in placenta tissues of patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and its relationship with Bcl-2, TGFbeta1, and to explore the etiology of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.

Forty-five placenta samples were obtained from pregnancies with hypertensive disorder (15 gestational hypertension, 15 mild preeclampsia, and 15 severe preeclampsia) and 45 normal placenta tissues were enrolled from the third-trimester pregnancies. Immunohistochemistry (SP method) was used to study the expression of Bcl-2 and TGFbeta1 in human trophoblasts. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) was used to quantify the incidence of apoptosis in human trophoblasts.

The apoptosis rate and TGFbeta1 expression in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy group was higher than that in the control group, but the Bcl-2 expression was significantly lower than the control group (all Ps<0.01). With the aggravation of this illness, the apoptosis rate and TGFbeta1 expression in the gestational hypertension group, mild preeclampsia group, and severe preeclampsia tended to be increasing, but the Bcl-2 expression was decreasing (P<0.001). The apoptosis of placenta villi and TGFbeta1 expression were positively correlated in the severe preeclampsia group and mild preeclampsia group,but the apoptosis of placenta villi and Bcl-2 were negatively correlated (all Ps<0.05). TGFbeta1 and Bcl-2 expressions in the severe preeclampsia group and mild preeclampsia group were negatively correlated (P<0.05).

Apoptosis of the placental trophoblasts of pregnancies with hypertensive disorder is evidently enhanced. The TGFbeta1 expression increases and the Bcl-2 expression decreases. The imbalance between TGFbeta1 and Bcl-2 expression may induce the hypertensive disorder.