Characterisation of cytotrophoblastic-like cells present in subinvolutioned placental sites of the bitch

FERNANDEZ PE; PORTIANSKY EL; BARBEITO CG; GIMENO EJ

HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

F HERNANDEZ

Lugar: Madrid; Año: 1998 vol. 13 p. 995 - 1000

0213-3911

This paper describes an approach to study thecells present in the subinvolution of placental sites(SIPS), a pathological post partum condition of the bitchthat causes persistent hemorrhage of the genital tract.The expression of intermediate filament proteins wasexamined to determine the fetal or maternal origin of thecytotrophoblastic-like cells found in this entity. Lectinbinding on tissue sections were also studied tocharacterise cellular glycoconjugates. Image processingand morphometrical analysis of the histological imageswere done. The results revealed that the cells observed inbitches with SIPS expressed pancytokeratins but neithervimentin nor desmin, in coincidence with normalcytotrophoblasts. The lectin binding pattern of bothtypes of cells was similar, with the only exception ofArachis hypogaea agglutinin (PNA) and Triticumvulgaris agglutinin (WGA). These observations, inaddition to the non statistically significant differencesbetween morphometrical characteristics of cytotrophoblasticand cytotrophoblastic-like cells in SIPS, mightsuggest the fetal origin of the latter cells which couldplay a role in the pathogenesis of this entity.