Three-dimensional digital reconstruction of human placental villus architecture in normal and complicated pregnancies.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the use of digital technology in the three-dimensional reconstruction of human placentas. Study design: Placentas obtained at term elective caesarean section were sampled, formalin-fixed and embedded in paraffin. Two hundred 5 mm consecutive sections were cut from each specimen and the resultant slides stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Slides were then scanned and the digitised images reconstructed using customised software. Results: Three-dimensional reconstructions were successfully achieved in placentas from normal pregnancies and those complicated by pre-eclampsia, growth restriction, and gestational diabetes. Marked morphological differences were readily identifiable, most clearly in the stem villus architecture. Conclusion: This method is an emerging research tool for examining placental histoarchitecture at high resolution and gaining clinically relevant insight into the placental pathology allied to pregnancy complications such as PET, IUGR and GD

Relationship of first-trimester uterine artery Doppler to late stillbirth.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate if increased first-trimester uterine artery Doppler resistance indices (RI) are related to stillbirth. METHOD: Uterine artery Doppler indices were assessed prospectively during a routine first-trimester ultrasound scan. Patients were categorised as having a high uterine artery mean Doppler RI if the index was above the 90th centile for gestation. Stillbirth outcomes were ascertained from a mandatory national register of pregnancy losses. RESULTS: High RI uterine artery Doppler (>90th centile) was an independent risk factor for late ( 6534\u2009weeks) but not early stillbirth, with a hazard ratio of 2.61 (95% CI 1.13-6.03). The inclusion of uterine artery Doppler indices into Cox proportional hazard model negated the influence of conventional risk factors for stillbirth, such as parity, maternal age and body mass index (BMI), but not Afro-Caribbean ethnicity or smoking. CONCLUSION: High first-trimester uterine artery Doppler RI is associated with late stillbirth after 34\u2009weeks' gestation. This association supersedes those of conventional risk factors such as maternal age, parity and BMI, implying that these factors result in an increased risk of stillbirth by causing placental dysfunction

Microbiomics in collusion with the nervous system in carcinogenesis: Diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment

The influence of the naturally occurring population of microbes on various human diseases has been a topic of much recent interest. Not surprisingly, continuously growing attention is devoted to the existence of a gut brain axis, where the microbiota present in the gut can affect the nervous system through the release of metabolites, stimulation of the immune system, changing the permeability of the blood–brain barrier or activating the vagus nerves. Many of the methods that stimulate the nervous system can also lead to the development of cancer by manipulating pathways associated with the hallmarks of cancer. Moreover, neurogenesis or the creation of new nervous tissue, is associated with the development and progression of cancer in a similar manner as the blood and lymphatic systems. Finally, microbes can secrete neurotransmitters, which can stimulate cancer growth and development. In this review we discuss the latest evidence that support the importance of microbiota and peripheral nerves in cancer development and dissemination. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Differential Gene Expression at the Maternal-Fetal Interface in Preeclampsia Is Influenced by Gestational Age

Genome-wide transcription data of utero-placental tissue has been used to identify altered gene expression associated with preeclampsia (PE). As many women with PE deliver preterm, there is often a difference in gestational age between PE women and healthy pregnant controls. This may pose a potential bias since gestational age has been shown to dramatically influence gene expression in utero-placental tissue. By pooling data from three genome-wide transcription studies of the maternal-fetal interface, we have evaluated the relative effect of gestational age and PE on gene expression. A total of 18,180 transcripts were evaluated in 49 PE cases and 105 controls, with gestational age ranging from week 14 to 42. A total of 22 transcripts were associated with PE, whereas 92 transcripts with gestational age (nominal P value <1.51*10-6, Bonferroni adjusted P value <0.05). Our results indicate that gestational age has a great influence on gene expression both in normal and PE-complicated pregnancies. This effect might introduce serious bias in data analyses and needs to be carefully assessed in future genome-wide transcription studies. © 2013 Lian et al