[The morphological aspects of the placenta, embryonic tissues and semen in human immunodeficiency virus infections]

Tissue samples from a therapeutic curettage performed in a woman with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and a semen sample of the husband were studied with the electron microscope. The samples were processed according to routine technique for electron microscopy. Calcifications, basement membrane thickening and hyperplasia of Hofbauer cells were seen in the placenta villi. Electron-dense particles of unknown nature, probably of viral origin, were found on the fetal red blood cell membranes, virus-like particles were identified in the endothelial cell nucleus of the brain and lung. Retrovirus-like particles were found in the protein of the seminal plasma. These results suggest that the retrovirus pass through the placenta during early pregnancy.