engleski

Expression of VEGF in normal and pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a signal protein that has a major role in the physiological and pathological angiogenesis and vasculogenesis during placental development. In this study we compared the expression of VEGF in human placentas obtained from 11 term pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with 11 placentas from normal term pregnancies. There were no differences between the groups in the age and parity of the mothers. Immunofluorescence staining was used to quantify the VEGF expression in the placentas. In normal plecentas analysis showed negative or light VEGF staining in the endothelium of fetal blood vessels, villous stromal cells and syncytiotrophoblast. In IUGR placentas expression of VEGF was mild to strong, suggesting increased vasculogenesis, and localization of VEGF staining was the same as in normal placentas. Furthermore, in these pathological pregnancies difference in VEGF expression in relation to neurological outcome of infant after birth was found. In addition, the strongest expression of VEGF was in cases with early postnatal functional or structural brain disorders. One of our next goals is to investigate expression of VEGF and its relationship with long-term neurodevelopment of infants born from pregnancies complicated by IUGR.

VEGF; IUGR; placenta; brain

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