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Placentology
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Placentology

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Physiology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 6309

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ghislain Hardy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
Interests: pathology; developmental biology; pediatric pathology; placenta; pregnancy complications; translational research
Dr. David Grynspan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z7, Canada
Interests: pathology; developmental biology; pediatric pathology; placenta; pregnancy complications; translational research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The crucial role that placenta plays in the major complications of pregnancy, including pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm and stillbirth, is increasingly being elucidated and understood. Basic science is uncovering novel insights into the process of maternal spiral artery remodeling involving the concerted action of extra-villous trophoblast cells, which are fetal in origin, as well as immune cells, vessels and uterine decidua, which are maternal. Basic science has also uncovered much about the genetic and epigenetic programing of villous development and the biology of the placental transport of gas and nutrients. Clinical research is defining screening algorithms for the early detection of pregnancy complications using placenta-derived serum biomarkers and imaging, alone or in combination. Clinical research has also revealed the benefit of ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) as a preventive measure in higher-risk pregnancies; ASA is believed to improve maternal vascular perfusion of the placenta. Translational research has built bridges between the research lab and the clinic and defined specific subtypes of preeclampsia and IUGR based on gene expression profile. In this Special Issue we will look at new developments in basic science, clinical research and translational research that center the placenta. Some people call this integrated field “placentology”, and we embrace that term. ‘Placentology’ is thus the topic of this Special Issue!

Dr. Ghislain Hardy
Dr. David Grynspan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • placenta
  • pre-eclampsia
  • IUGR
  • preterm
  • pregnancy-induced hypertension
  • trophoblasts
  • maternal outcomes

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1303 KiB  
Article
Unveiling Clinical Relevance: Investigating Placentas Submitted for Histological Examination and Their Correlation with Clinical Indications and Histological Findings
by Luisa Strahler, Alexander Horky, Stephan Spahn, Franz Bahlmann and Elise Gradhand
Life 2024, 14(8), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14080927 - 24 Jul 2024
Viewed by 714
Abstract
In Germany, there is currently no official guideline for the submission of placentas for histopathological examination. Placentas are sent for histological examination by obstetricians according to locally defined indications, which leads to different practices in different centers. In this study, two cohorts of [...] Read more.
In Germany, there is currently no official guideline for the submission of placentas for histopathological examination. Placentas are sent for histological examination by obstetricians according to locally defined indications, which leads to different practices in different centers. In this study, two cohorts of placentas were compared to assess the clinical relevance of placental examination. One cohort consisted of placentas with a clinical indication for histologic examination and the other of placentas with a clinically healthy pregnancy and a healthy infant. In this study, a placenta request form based on established international guidelines was used. Placentas from singleton and twin pregnancies with and without clinical indications were histopathologically examined. Clinical information was extracted from the request form and later correlated with histological findings. A total of 236 placentas were examined, including 127 (53.8%) with clinical indications and 109 (46.2%) without. The concordance between submission reasons and histopathological findings was higher in singleton pregnancies with clinical indications (90.9%) compared to twin pregnancies (62.97%). Placentas from singleton and twin pregnancies with clinical indications exhibited significantly more pathological findings than their respective healthy control groups. Histopathological examination of the placenta can confirm or reveal placenta pathologies and therefore improve the care of the mother, child and future pregnancies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentology)
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27 pages, 4896 KiB  
Article
Maternal Age at Menarche Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Offspring Birth Weight
by Yuliya Reshetnikova, Maria Churnosova, Vadim Stepanov, Anna Bocharova, Victoria Serebrova, Ekaterina Trifonova, Irina Ponomarenko, Inna Sorokina, Olga Efremova, Valentina Orlova, Irina Batlutskaya, Marina Ponomarenko, Vladimir Churnosov, Natalya Eliseeva, Inna Aristova, Alexey Polonikov, Evgeny Reshetnikov and Mikhail Churnosov
Life 2023, 13(7), 1525; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13071525 - 7 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1320
Abstract
In this study, the association between maternal age at menarche (AAM)-related polymorphisms and offspring birth weight (BW) was studied. The work was performed on a sample of 716 pregnant women and their newborns. All pregnant women underwent genotyping of 50 SNPs of AAM [...] Read more.
In this study, the association between maternal age at menarche (AAM)-related polymorphisms and offspring birth weight (BW) was studied. The work was performed on a sample of 716 pregnant women and their newborns. All pregnant women underwent genotyping of 50 SNPs of AAM candidate genes. Regression methods (linear and Model-Based Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MB-MDR)) with permutation procedures (the indicator pperm was calculated) were used to identify the correlation between SNPs and newborn weight (transformed BW values were analyzed) and in silico bioinformatic examination was applied to assess the intended functionality of BW-associated loci. Four AAM-related genetic variants were BW-associated including genes such as POMC (rs7589318) (βadditive = 0.202/pperm = 0.015), KDM3B (rs757647) (βrecessive = 0.323/pperm = 0.005), INHBA (rs1079866) (βadditive = 0.110/pperm = 0.014) and NKX2-1 (rs999460) (βrecessive = −0.176/pperm = 0.015). Ten BW-significant models of interSNPs interactions (pperm ≤ 0.001) were identified for 20 polymorphisms. SNPs rs7538038 KISS1, rs713586 RBJ, rs12324955 FTO and rs713586 RBJ–rs12324955 FTO two-locus interaction were included in the largest number of BW-associated models (30% models each). BW-associated AAM-linked 22 SNPs and 350 proxy loci were functionally related to 49 genes relevant to pathways such as the hormone biosynthesis/process and female/male gonad development. In conclusion, maternal AMM-related genes polymorphism is associated with the offspring BW. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentology)
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18 pages, 1295 KiB  
Article
Impact of Chorionic Somatomammotropin In Vivo RNA Interference Phenotype on Uteroplacental Expression of the IGF Axis
by Taylor K. Hord, Amelia R. Tanner, Victoria C. Kennedy, Cameron S. Lynch, Quinton A. Winger, Paul J. Rozance and Russell V. Anthony
Life 2023, 13(6), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061261 - 26 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1698
Abstract
While fetal growth is dependent on many factors, optimal placental function is a prerequisite for a normal pregnancy outcome. The majority of fetal growth-restricted (FGR) pregnancies result from placental insufficiency (PI). The insulin-like growth factors (IGF1 and IGF2) stimulate fetal growth and placental [...] Read more.
While fetal growth is dependent on many factors, optimal placental function is a prerequisite for a normal pregnancy outcome. The majority of fetal growth-restricted (FGR) pregnancies result from placental insufficiency (PI). The insulin-like growth factors (IGF1 and IGF2) stimulate fetal growth and placental development and function. Previously, we demonstrated that in vivo RNA interference (RNAi) of the placental hormone, chorionic somatomammotropin (CSH), resulted in two phenotypes. One phenotype exhibits significant placental and fetal growth restriction (PI-FGR), impaired placental nutrient transport, and significant reductions in umbilical insulin and IGF1. The other phenotype does not exhibit statistically significant changes in placental or fetal growth (non-FGR). It was our objective to further characterize these two phenotypes by determining the impact of CSH RNAi on the placental (maternal caruncle and fetal cotyledon) expression of the IGF axis. The trophectoderm of hatched blastocysts (9 days of gestation, dGA) were infected with a lentivirus expressing either a non-targeting sequence (NTS RNAi) control or CSH-specific shRNA (CSH RNAi) prior to embryo transfer into synchronized recipient ewes. At ≈125 dGA, pregnancies were fitted with vascular catheters to undergo steady-state metabolic studies. Nutrient uptakes were determined, and tissues were harvested at necropsy. In both CSH RNAi non-FGR and PI-FGR pregnancies, uterine blood flow was significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05), while umbilical blood flow (p ≤ 0.01), both uterine and umbilical glucose and oxygen uptakes (p ≤ 0.05), and umbilical concentrations of insulin and IGF1 (p ≤ 0.05) were reduced in CSH RNAi PI-FGR pregnancies. Fetal cotyledon IGF1 mRNA concentration was reduced (p ≤ 0.05) in CSH RNAi PI-FGR pregnancies, whereas neither IGF1 nor IGF2 mRNA concentrations were impacted in the maternal caruncles, and either placental tissue in the non-FGR pregnancies. Fetal cotyledon IGF1R and IGF2R mRNA concentrations were not impacted for either phenotype, yet IGF2R was increased (p ≤ 0.01) in the maternal caruncles of CSH RNAi PI-FGR pregnancies. For the IGF binding proteins (IGFBP1, IGFBP2, IGFBP3), only IGFBP2 mRNA concentrations were impacted, with elevated IGFBP2 mRNA in both the fetal cotyledon (p ≤ 0.01) and maternal caruncle (p = 0.08) of CSH RNAi non-FGR pregnancies. These data support the importance of IGF1 in placental growth and function but may also implicate IGFBP2 in salvaging placental growth in non-FGR pregnancies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentology)
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Graphical abstract

12 pages, 5834 KiB  
Communication
The Histopathological “Placentitis Triad” Is Specific for SARS-CoV-2 Infection, and Its Acute Presentation Can Be Associated with Poor Fetal Outcome
by Annabelle Remoué, Yurina Suazo, Marie Uguen, Arnaud Uguen, Pascale Marcorelles and Claire de Moreuil
Life 2023, 13(2), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020479 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1494
Abstract
(1) Background: Placental histological lesions reported in relation with SARS-CoV-2 infection are various, with potential consequences such as fetal growth retardation, prematurity or stillbirth/neonatal death. We report here on a placental pathological association which could be specific for SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated with [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Placental histological lesions reported in relation with SARS-CoV-2 infection are various, with potential consequences such as fetal growth retardation, prematurity or stillbirth/neonatal death. We report here on a placental pathological association which could be specific for SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated with poor fetal outcome; (2) Methods: We collected all the placental pathological examinations performed in Brest University Hospital (France) since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic with a known maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and a poor pregnancy outcome. In these cases, we described the pathological lesions and we searched for these lesions in a large series of placentas collected and examined in the same institution before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; (3) Results: Three cases with severe fetal outcome (tardive abortion, prematurity, neonatal death), from the first to the third trimesters of pregnancy, were included. The three cases showed features of massive and acute “placentitis triad” consisting in massive perivillous fibrin deposition, sub-acute intervillositis and trophoblastic necrosis. This association was not encountered in any of 8857 placentas analyzed during the period between 2002 and 2012 in our institution; (4) Conclusions: The “placentitis triad” appears to be specific for SARS-CoV-2 infection and, in case of massive and acute presentation, could result in poor fetal outcome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentology)
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