Investigation of placental hofbauer cells byimmunohistochemistry methods in complicated pregnancies

Abstract

Development of the placenta without any complication is essential for normal pregnancy.The placenta is a multifunctional organ that plays a vital role in fetal development. Hofbauer cells areone of the most important groups of placental cells. These cells are placental macrophages and have arole in many placental events. The aim of this study is to investigate the placental distribution anddensity of Hofbauer cells and to contribute to the understanding of the causes and pathogenesis ofcomplicated pregnancies. In this study, 60 full-term placentas were divided into 4 equal groups: control,preeclampsia, gestational diabetes (GDM), and ( hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet) HELLP group. The placenta was dissected and the samples were fixed 10% neutral buffered formalin.Following routine paraffin wax procedure, 5 µm sections were stained with CD68 for marking Hofbauercells. In immunohistochemical evaluation, Hofbauer cells in villous stroma showed positive CD68expression. Immunostaining Findings: CD68 showed a granular staining pattern in the cytoplasm ofHofbauer cells. The group with the highest CD68 positive cell number was HELLP group and thenumber of cells per cell (1.46 ± 0.25) was significantly different from all groups. CD68 positive cellcount in the placental villus was the highest in HELLP group and the number of Hofbauer cells pervillus was significantly different from the other groups.