Recurrent pregnancy loss due to familial and non-familial habitual molar pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: To present a series of women with recurrent molar pregnancies, including rare familial cases, and discuss etiology and treatment options. METHODS: We performed a detailed clinical evaluation and pedigree analysis of five Egyptian women with recurrent pregnancy loss due to molar pregnancy. RESULTS: The women had a history of four to nine consecutive hydatidiform moles but of no viable pregnancies. Two of the women had molar pregnancies with different husbands who themselves had viable offspring from previous wives; and three of them, who belonged to a family with extensive intermarriage, had a pedigree consistent with an autosomal recessive maternal-effect mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent pregnancy loss due to habitual molar pregnancy is uncommon and familial cases are extremely rare. The etiology of this disorder is not well understood but likely results from a maternal-effect mutation. Management options are limited, especially for couples who desire to have their own genetic offspring.     

滋养细胞肿瘤343例分析

本文分析343例滋养细胞肿瘤的发病率为;良葡125例(1:73)、恶葡129例(1:81)、绒癌89例(1:102)。年龄以21～30岁为多:季节以2、3、5月份为高;胎次是未产妇和第一胎多;血型ABO之间无明显差异,AB与ABO有显著差异,AB型发病率低;初潮年龄以16～18岁人数多;务农妇女尤多占84.26％。本文结合葡萄胎的症状,体征提出了早期诊断和防病措施。     

Partial hydatidiform mole and hypertension associated with a live fetus--variable presentation in two cases

Partial hydatidiform mole associated with live births is a rarecondition. There are not enough cases in the literature to allowthe assessment of comprehensive risks to be made and upon whichmanagement policies can be based. Several clinical dilemmasarise following diagnosis of a viable pregnancy associated withmolar tissue. We present two cases demonstrating the problemsand suggest management based on outcome and a review of theliterature.     

Heme oxygenases in pregnancy II: HO-2 is downregulated in human pathologic pregnancies

PROBLEM: We previously reported a diminished expression of the heme-degrading enzymes heme oxygenases (HO)-1 and HO-2 in decidua and placenta from mice undergoing Th1-mediated abortion, strongly indicating the protective effect of HO in murine pregnancy maintenance. Here we investigated whether the expression of HO-1 and HO-2 is also reduced at the feto-maternal interface of pathologic human pregnancies. METHOD OF STUDY: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect HOs expression in placental and decidual first-trimester tissue from patients with: spontaneous abortion (n = 14), choriocarcinoma (n = 14), hydatidiform mole (H-mole) (n = 12), compared with normally progressing pregnancies (n = 15). Further, we investigated early third-trimester decidual and placental tissue from patients with pre-eclampsia (n = 13) compared with fetal growth retardation (n = 14) as age-matched controls. RESULTS: In first trimester tissue, we observed a significant reduction of HO-2 expression in invasive trophoblast cells, endothelial cells, and syncytiotrophoblasts in samples from patients with spontaneous abortion compared with normal pregnancy. H-mole samples showed a diminished expression of HO-2 in invasive trophoblast cells and endothelial cells in comparison with NP, whereas choriocarcinoma samples showed no significant differences compared with the control. In third trimester tissue, HO-2 was also reduced in syncytiotrophoblasts and invasive trophoblast cells from pre-eclampsia compared with samples from fetal growth retardation. HO-1 expression was diminished in all pathologies investigated; however, the differences did not reach levels of significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that HOs play a crucial role in pregnancy and low expression of HO-2, as observed in pathologic pregnancies, may lead to enhanced levels of free heme at the feto-maternal interface, with subsequent upregulation of adhesion molecules, allowing enhanced inflammatory cells migration to the feto-maternal interface.     

Hydatidiform mole and HLA. Methods for HLA-A,B,C determination

The current Danish project on genetic markers and hydatidiform moles involves the examination of the histocompatibility between patient, spouse and molar tissue. For this purpose 2 techniques have been developed for HLA-A,B determination of molar tissue: (a) a cytotoxic microtechnique for the HLA typing of cultured molar cells, and (b) a microabsorption method using selected HLA antisera for the examination of frozen molar tissue. To date molar cell cultures or tissue have been examined in 22 of the cases. The results of HLA determination were compared with chromosomal markers to elucidate the origin of the haploid chromosome complements. In the cases examined a general agreement between the HLA-A,B type and the origin of the chromosomes was observed. The microabsorption method used seems to be less sensitive than the cytotoxic technique.     

Prenatal diagnosis of a complete mole coexisting with a dichorionic twin pregnancy: case report

A complete mole coexisting with dichorionic twins was diagnosed by the combined use of sonography and chorionic villus sampling at 10 weeks gestation. The pregnancy resulted in the death of one fetus at 31 weeks from presumed feto-maternal haemorrhage, while the other fetus survived in good condition. A summary of the available literature, combined with this report, reveals a total of seven pregnancies with twins and a coexistent complete mole. Only two out of 14 fetuses survived. Maternal complications included one case of pre-eclampsia and one persistent trophoblastic tumour. Accurate diagnosis of complete mole is possible by genetic analysis of chorionic villi obtained with standard transabdominal sampling. Twins with a coexistent complete mole will usually undergo miscarriage. However, fetal survival is possible and the maternal risks seem limited. A concomitance between gestational trophoblastic disease and the occurrence of feto-maternal haemorrhage is observed.     

Refining the diagnosis of hydatidiform mole: image ploidy analysis and p57KIP2 immunohistochemistry

AIM: To determine whether image analysis of ploidy status and immunohistochemical analysis of p57KIP2 (a paternally imprinted, maternally expressed gene) can be used to refine the diagnosis of molar pregnancy. METHODS AND RESULTS: The original histological diagnosis in 40 randomly selected cases of hydatidiform mole was reviewed and confirmed in 38 cases (22 complete moles, 16 partial moles). These cases were anonymized and submitted for further analysis. Tissue from each case was submitted for flow cytometric assessment of DNA ploidy using a FACSort flow cytometer and for automated image cytometric assessment using a novel digital imaging system. Tissue sections from each case were immunostained with a monoclonal mouse antibody to p57KIP2. Correlations between the histopathological diagnosis, image cytometry, flow cytometry and p57KIP2 immunohistochemistry were determined using kappa statistics. The concordance between histological diagnosis and p57KIP2 was very good (kappa = 0.89). Twenty of the 22 (90.9%) complete moles showed no immunoreactivity for p57KIP2. The remaining two cases showed nuclear immunoreactivity in villous cytotrophoblast. In one of these, the pattern of staining resembled that of a partial mole. In the other, the staining pattern supported the diagnosis of a twin molar/non-molar pregnancy. All 16 partial moles were p57KIP2 immunoreactive. On flow cytometry, all 22 complete moles were diploid and 12/16 partial moles were triploid (the remaining four cases originally diagnosed as partial moles were found to be diploid). On image cytometry, one case originally diagnosed as complete mole was found to contain a triploid population. Thus, by using a combination of image cytometry and p57KIP2 status we were able to refine the diagnosis of molar pregnancy in five (13%) of the cases studied. CONCLUSIONS: Automated image cytometry is a readily performed investigation which is comparable to, but more sensitive than, flow cytometry. Complementary use of ploidy analysis and p57KIP2 status can now help to distinguish a diploid hydropic miscarriage (p57KIP2-positive), diploid complete mole (p57KIP2-negative) and triploid partial mole (p57KIP2-positive).     

Histopathologic study of partial hydatidiform moles and DNA triploid placentas

Sixty-two placentas with a triploid DNA content, which were analyzed by flow cytometry using paraffin-embedded tissues, were histologically investigated. These placentas were histologically classified as follows: 51 partial hydatidiform moles (PM), two hydropic abortuses and nine non-hydropic placentas. The DNA indices of the triploid peaks were between 1.41 and 1.60. Histologically, two populations of normal and edematous villi, vesicular villous edema with cistern formation, focal syncytiotrophoblastic hyperplasia with vacuola-tion, and villous scalloping with trophoblastic inclusion were almost always observed in the PM, but no single pathologic feature was specific for PM. The two entities, PM and triploid placenta, overlapped. Not all triploid gestations are PM and not all PM moles are triploid as shown in previously reported diploid or tetraploid PM. Although no patient with triploid PM developed persistent disease in this series, follow up of triploid PM is required as long as its true biological potential remains unclear. Flow cytometry is a reliable aid in the diagnosis of PM.     

TGF-β和IGF表达异常与滋养层相关疾病关系的研究

目的:探讨转化生长因子(TGF-β)和胰岛素样生长因子(IGF)等与滋养层侵入调节密切相关的细胞因子在胎盘绒毛组织中的表达,及与葡萄胎、先兆子痫等滋养层细胞相关妊娠疾病病理机制的关系。方法:采用半定量逆转录多聚酶链反应(RT-PCR)检测方法,分别以正常早孕绒毛和正常足月(自然分娩或剖宫产)胎盘绒毛组织为对照,观察葡萄胎组织与先兆子痫足月胎盘绒毛组织中TGF-β和IGF的表达。结果:5种胎盘绒毛组织中均可检测到IGF-I mRNA的表达,且先兆子痫足月胎盘绒毛组织中IGF-I的表达量明显低于正常足月胎盘绒毛组织,而葡萄胎组织中IGF-I的表达略高于正常早孕绒毛。在3种足月胎盘绒毛组织中可检测到IGF-ⅡmRNA的表达,但相互之间无明显差异。葡萄胎组织中IGF-Ⅱ的表达低于早孕绒毛。5种胎盘绒毛组织中均有TGF-β3的表达,而TGF-β1和TGF-β2的表达并未检测到。在表达量上,葡萄胎组织中TGF-β3的表达明显高于正常早孕绒毛组织,先兆子痫胎盘绒毛组织中TGF-β3的表达强于足月自然分娩的正常胎盘绒毛组织,而剖宫产胎盘绒毛组织中,TGF-β3的表达亦相对较强。结论:TGF-β3和IGF-I在胎盘绒毛组织中的表达变化,可能和葡萄胎、先兆子痫等与滋养层密切相关的妊娠疾病的发生有关。