Control of Apoptosis of Human Chorionic Villi and Decidua Cells During Spontaneous Abortion

Objective Using flow cytometric and immunohistochemical methods to examine the mechanisms of apoptosis of human chorionic villi and decidua cells during spontaneous abortion (SA). Methods Chorionic villi and decidua cells from 20 subjects were collected and analyzed. Histological changes were determined using light microscopy. Expression of bcl-2 and bax gene proteins was determined using immunohistochemical methods. Results Extensive pathological change was observed in chorionic vill. The apoptosis index (AI) of cells in villi and decidua in the SA group was higher than the selected abortion group (P0.05). Expression of bcl-2 genes in these tissues were decreased compared with their counterparts (P0.001), while the expression of bax gene was significantly increased in the SA group (P0.001). Conclusion The presence of a large population of apoptotic cells in chorionic villi and decidua might contribute to the morphological changes of these tissues, and also the development of the fetus.