Placental micro blood perfusion for isolated single umbilical artery foetuses and VEGF protein expression in the placenta

Figures & data

Figure 1. 3D-PDU image of the foetal placenta in the isolated single umbilical artery (ISUA) group and control group; (a, b) 3D-PDU blood flow images at the insertion point of umbilical cord and placenta in the ISUA group showing a 3D vascular tree structure.

Figure 2. Measurement of 3D-PDU blood flow parameters vascularity index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularity flow index (VFI) at the umbilical cord insertion point of the foetal placenta in the isolated single umbilical artery (ISUA) group and control group.

Table 1. Comparison of the 3D-PDU blood flow parameters of foetal placenta between the ISUA and control groups ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$±SD).

Group	VI	FI	VFI	Region of interest volume (cm^3)
Control group	18.3 ± 9.9	34.4 ± 7.3	6.6 ± 3.9	10.5 ± 8.8
ISUA group	11.8 ± 7.1*	33.7 ± 6.8^#	4.2 ± 2.9*	8.8 ± 5.0^#
T	4.285	0.568	3.949	1.298
p	0.000	0.571	0.000	0.197

Note: Compared with the control group, ^#p > 0.05, *p < 0.05.

Table 2. Clinical data of pregnant women and newborns in the ISUA and control groups ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$±SD).

	ISUA group	Control group	p
Weight of pregnant women (kg)	61.9 ± 5.8^#	61.8 ± 5.5	0.978
Body mass index of pregnant women (kg/m)	24.1 ± 3.6^#	24.6 ± 3.7	0.853
Age of pregnant women (years)	27.7 ± 5.2^#	27.5 ± 4.5	0.382
Pregnancy week (week)	37.9 ± 1.1^#	38.8 ± 0.9	0.139
Weight of newborn (kg)	2.9 ± 0.3*	3.3 ± 0.4	0.011
Weight of placenta (g)	461 ± 59*	523 ± 62	0.000

Note: Compared with the control group ^#p > 0.05; *p < 0.05.

Figure 3. VEGF expression in placenta by immunohistochemistry (x 400); a: Control group (-); b: ISUA group (+++).

Table 3. Immunohistochemical expression intensity of VEGF in the foetal placenta of the ISUA and control groups.

Group	Visual field number	–	+	++	+++	Total positive rate
Control Group	130	38 (29.2%)	72 (55.4%)	21 (16.1%)	17 (13.1%)	92 (70.7%)
ISUA Group	130	6 (4.6%)*	24 (18.5%)*	48 (36.9%)*	52 (40.0%)*	124 (95.4%)*
χ2		28.013	38.049	14.382	24.167	28.013
p		0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000

Note: Compared with the control group, *p < 0.05.

Data availability statement

The data and material in the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.