Expression of endogenous heme oxygenase on surface of placental trophoblasts of pregnant women with intrauterine growth retardation of the fetus.

OBJECTIVE

To examine endogenous heme oxygenase (HO) expression on the surface of placental trophoblasts of pregnant women who had a fetus with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), so as to explore the pathogenesis of IUGR.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical method were used to detect the expression of HO-1 in idiopathic IUGR patients (IUGR group), patients with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) complicated by IUGR (PIH+IUGR group) and normal pregnant women (control group) with specific HO antibody. Quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the quantity of HO.

RESULT: The staining areas of HO-1 in IUGR group (64.27+/-10.59 micrometer(2)) and PIH+IUGR group (61.54+/-10.59 micrometer(2)) were significantly lower than that of control group (96.56+/-15.23 micrometer(2), P<0.01), but there was no significant differences between the former 2 groups.

CONCLUSION

Abnormal reduction in endogenous HO on the surface of placental trophoblasts may be one of the important mechanisms for the onset of IUGR.