Quantitative changes of extravillous trophoblast cells in placenta of systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Background: Pregnancy complications are common in women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and probably are related to structural changes of placenta in these patients. In the present study, quantitative changes of extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs) in the placental bed of SLE patients were investigated compared to healthy controls using stereological methods.Methods: Twenty placentas from SLE patients and normal pregnancies (N=10) were enrolled in this case-control study approved by Ethnical Committee of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. Selected samples were prepared for estimation of quantitative parameters including total volume of EVTs, diameter and volume of the nucleus and cytoplasm, and the nuclear-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio of EVTs. Volumetric parameters and number of EVTs per unit volume of the placental bed was estimated respectively using Cavalieri’s principle and Physical Disector stereological methods. The Mann Whitney-U test was employed to determine differences between the two groups. The significant level was set at p Result: Placental volume in the SLE group increased compared to the control group, but this increase was not statistically significant (P> 0.05). Placental weight in the patient group showed a significant decrease compared to controls (P Conclusion: These changes can be associated with disturbances in trophoblastic invasion in SLE pregnancies and may affect the development and survival of the embryo.