A morphometric evaluation of the maturity of the blood-blood barrier in the human placenta

• Published in: Ginekologia polska Vol. 76; no. 1; p. 37
• Main Authors: Komorniczak, Joanna, Hrabowska, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Polish
• Published: Poland 01-01-2005
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Placenta - blood supply; Placental Circulation - physiology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Reference Values; Regional Blood Flow; Umbilical Arteries - physiology
• ISSN: 0017-0011

Computer aided analysis of microscopic picture was used to morphometric examination of 506 placentas from normal pregnancies at 30 to 42 gestational weeks. Following parameters of the terminal villi: diameter and its number within 1mm2, the length, the thickness, the number of epithelial plates in 1mm2, the number of epithelial plates for the villus within 1mm2, seem to be the morphological signs of maturity of the blood-blood barrier in the placenta. In previous studies it has been found that in pregnancies with hypertension or abnormalities in KTG, parameters of blood-blood barrier respond earlier stages of the pregnancy. A maturity of the placental barrier correlates with some somatic features of a foetus and a newborn. Our results show that between 30 and 42 gestational week some parameters of the placental barrier have a linear increase and others grow rapidly between 35 and 38 gestational age and after 38 gestational age do not change. According to obtained results, we drew a conclusion, that between 30 and 42 gestational age there are rapid morphological transformations of the structures formed placental barrier and that morphometry of the human placenta may be used as a more objective and accurate method to estimate gestational age.