Placental pathology in smoking and non-smoking preeclamptic women

Abstract

Objective: To ascertain whether the protective effect of smoking during preeclampsia (PE) can be visualized in the placenta.

Methods: The study cohort consisted of placentas (n = 523) from pregnancies complicated by PE, delivered at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm during the period 2000–2009. Of the women included in the study, 488 were non-smokers and 35 were smokers at first visit to maternity care. Outcome variables were placental infarctions and decidual arteriopathy.

Results: Infarctions (affecting ≥5% of the placental tissue) were found in 15.6% of the placentas from non-smokers and in 25.7% of the placentas from smokers (OR 1.88: CI 0.84–4.16, p = 0.12). Decidual arteriopathy was found in 27.5% of the placentas from non-smokers and in 40.0% of the placentas from smokers (1.76: CI 0.87–3.56, p = 0.12). When diagnosed histopathologically, placental abruption was found in 15.4% among non-smokers and in 17.1% among smokers (1.14: CI 0.46–2.84, p = 0.98). Those differences did not show any statistical significance.

Conclusion: No significant differences concerning placental infarctions, decidual arteriopathy or abruption were found between preeclamptic placentas from non-smokers compared to smokers.

• Abruption
• arteriopathy
• hypertension
• infarction
• non-smoker
• placenta
• smoker

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.