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Are there lymphatic vessels in the placenta?

C Bellini1, M Rutigliani, F Boccardo

  • 1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Genoa, I.R.C.C.S. Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy. carlobellini@ospedale-gaslini.ge.it

Lymphology
|July 10, 2012
PubMed

The role of lymphatics in placentation has been scantily studied and the true existence of placental lymphatics is under debate. Numerous blood and lymphatic-lineage molecule markers are now available and they are expressed in human placental tissue. D2-40 expression at the placental stromal level seems to indicate that network-forming, podoplanin-expressing cells may act as a reticular-lymphatic-like conductive network. This exciting area at the intersection of perinatology and lymphology needs further investigation.

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