Chronic Inflammatory Placental Lesions Correlate With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Severity in Extremely Preterm...

Correlation of BPD with placental pathology is important for clarification of the multifactorial pathogenesis of BPD; however, previous reports have yielded varying results. We report placental findings in no/mild BPD compared to moderate/severe BPD, and with and without pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Eligible infants were 23^0/7-27^6/7 weeks gestational age. BPD was defined by the need for oxygen at ≥28 days with severity based on need for respiratory support at ≥36 weeks. Acute and chronic inflammatory placental lesions and lesions of maternal and fetal vascular malperfusion were examined.

Of 246 eligible infants, 146 (59%) developed moderate/severe BPD. Thirty-four (23%) infants developed PH, all but 1 being in the moderate/severe BPD group. Chronic deciduitis (32% vs 16%, P = .003), chronic chorioamnionitis (23% vs 12%, P = .014), and ≥ 2 chronic inflammatory lesions (13% vs 3%, P = .007) were more frequent in the moderate/severe BPD group. Development of PH was associated with placental villous lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion (30% vs 15%, P = .047).

The association of chronic inflammatory placental lesions with BPD severity has not been previously reported. This supports the injury responsible for BPD as beginning before birth in some neonates, possibly related to cytokines associated with these chronic inflammatory lesions.