ATTACHMENT AND DIFFERENTIATION IN-VITRO OF TROPHOBLAST FROM NORMAL AND PREECLAMPTIC HUMAN PLACENTAS

OBJECTIVE: Trophoblast from preeclamptic patients shows impairment of various functions, including restricted invasive behavior of extravill ous trophoblast. In this light the effect of different matrix componen ts on attachment and differentiation of primary trophoblast cultures d erived from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies was investigated. STUD Y DESIGN: Trophoblast was isolated from placentas of normotensive (n = 5) and preeclamptic patients (n = 5) and cultured up to 7 days on Lab Tek slides precoated with fibronectin, laminin, or vitronectin. Attach ment was evaluated 24 hours after plating, the degree of syncytializat ion was evaluated, and slides were immunocytochemically stained for cy tokeratin, vimentin, human chorionic gonadotropin, and human placental lactogen. RESULTS: Trophoblast from placentas of preeclamptic patient s showed a significantly lower attachment on fibronectin and vitronect in compared with controls. Diminished multinuclear cell formation was found on uncoated and laminin-coated slides in preeclamptic cases. No difference was found in the percentage of human chorionic gonadotropin - and human placental lactogen-positive cells between groups. CONCLUSI ONS: Lower trophoblast attachment on fibronectin and vitronectin was o bserved in preeclamptic pregnancies, which may reflect differences in expression of matrix receptors. Lower syncytialization of trophoblast in this group indicates an intrinsic defect in differentiation, but ot herwise no differences were found in differentiation between normotens ive and preeclamptic patients.