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Basal lamina thickening in the placentae of smoking mothers
The thickness of the basal lamina in the placentae of 20 matched pairs of smoking and non-smoking mothers was measured using an electron microscopic method of quantification. A significant increase of the thickness of the trophoblastic basal lamina was found in the smokers' placentae: 181 nm (s.d. +/- 38.2 nm) in non-smokers versus 286 nm (s.d. +/- 69.9 nm) in smokers (P less than 0.005). A significant increase of the thickness of the capillary basal lamina was also found: 75 nm (s.d. +/- 12.1 nm) in non-smokers versus 111 nm (s.d. +/- 16.0 nm) in smokers (P less than 0.005). The number of duplications around the capillary basal lamina was found to be increased in the placentae of smoking women.
The thickness of the basal lamina in the placentae of 20 matched pairs of smoking and non-smoking mothers was measured using an electron microscopic method of quantification. A significant increase of the thickness of the trophoblastic basal lamina was found in the smokers' placentae: 181 nm (s.d. +/- 38.2 nm) in non-smokers versus 286 nm (s.d. +/- 69.9 nm) in smokers (P less than 0.005). A significant increase of the thickness of the capillary basal lamina was also found: 75 nm (s.d. +/- 12.1 nm) in non-smokers versus 111 nm (s.d. +/- 16.0 nm) in smokers (P less than 0.005). The number of duplications around the capillary basal lamina was found to be increased in the placentae of smoking women.