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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
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Isolation of Human Lymphatic Endothelial Cells by Multi-parameter Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting
Published on: May 1, 2015
Neither normal nor diseased placentas contain lymphatic vessels
E Castro1, W Tony Parks, C Galambos
1Division of Pediatric Pathology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Placenta
|February 15, 2011
Summary
This study found no placental lymphatic vessels in developing or term placentas, or in specific placental disorders. Cistern lining cells are stromal, not endothelial, and lymphangiogenesis occurs in decidual vascular remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Vascular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Limited data exist on placental lymphatic vessels, with some suggesting absence and others indicating pathologic lymphangiogenesis in specific conditions.
- Conflicting findings necessitate an investigation into the presence of lymphatic vessels in normal and abnormal placentas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the presence and characteristics of lymphatic vessels in normal human placentas throughout gestation.
- To investigate lymphatic vessel presence in placental disorders associated with cistern formation.
Main Methods:
- Examined 17 human placentas (12-39 weeks gestation) and samples from placental disorders.
- Utilized lymphatic endothelial markers Prox-1 and D2-40, and pan-endothelial marker CD31.
- Assessed marker positivity in both maternal (decidual) and fetal (chorionic villous) vasculature and cistern lining cells.
Main Results:
- No Prox-1 or D2-40 staining was observed in fetal vessels of normal or abnormal placentas.
- Decidual vessels showed positivity for lymphatic markers, while cistern lining cells were negative for all markers (Prox-1, D2-40, CD31).
- D2-40 marked stromal cells in chorionic villi and extracellular matrix, but not lymphatic vessels.
Conclusions:
- Confirmed the absence of lymphatic vasculature in chorionic villi throughout placental development and in studied disorders.
- Established that cisternal lining cells originate from stromal cells, not endothelial cells.
- Concluded that lymphangiogenesis is associated with decidual vascular remodeling during pregnancy.
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