Effects of gestational diabetes mellitus on stereological parameters and extravillous trophoblast cells of placenta compared to the control group

Abstract

The quantitative changes of extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs) in placenta of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients were investigated compared to healthy controls using stereological methods. The volumetric parameters of the placenta and EVTs were estimated using Cavalieri’s principle and Physical Disector stereological methods. The placental volume and weight in the GDM group increased compared to the control group (p < .05). The difference in the total volume of intervillous space and blood vessels of the placenta between GDM and control groups was statistically significant (p < .05). In addition, there was a significant difference in the volume density of blood vessels and syncytiotrophoblast between the GDM group and the control group (p < .05). The total volume of the EVTs, nucleus and cytoplasm diameter, volume of the nucleus and cytoplasm, nucleus to cytoplasm ratio (N/C) of EVTs and the total number of EVTs per unit volume of the placenta in the GDM group showed a significant increase compared to the controls (p < .05).

Impact statement

• What is already known on this subject? It is reported that extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs) played an important role in pregnancy complications. There are limited studies on the quantitative changes of EVTs in the placental bed of GDM patients.

• What do the results of this study add? The results showed that volumetric parameters and number of EVTs were significantly altered in GDM placentas. These changes can be associated with disturbances in trophoblastic invasion in GDM pregnancies and may affect the development and survival of the embryo.

• What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? In the present study, there is a new insight to placenta structure that probably could be useful to understanding possible mechanisms of pregnancy complications and the achievement of new therapeutic strategies. Further investigation on the molecular biology of these cells in pregnancy complications will be needed to clarify this hypothesis.

Keywords:

• Placenta
• pregnancy complications
• extravillous trophoblast cells
• gestational diabetes
• stereology

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all individuals who participated in the study and Dr. M. Mokhtari and N. Najafi for their helps in sample collection.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The Deputy of research of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences financially supported this work (Grant No.: 2223)