OBJECTIVE: Bacteria have been identified in different regions of the placenta. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the maternal basal plate of the placenta harbors microbes that may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional study of pregnancies from a single tertiary care hospital. Maternal medical and obstetric characteristics were obtained and pregnancies followed up prospectively for outcomes and placental collection. After delivery, systematic random sampling of the placental basal plate was performed. Paraffin sections of basal plates were stained with 4 histologic stains and scored for morphological evidence of bacteria. RESULTS: Of 195 total patients in the study, Gram-positive and -negative intracellular bacteria of diverse morphologies were documented in the basal plates of 27% of all placentas. Of the patients, 35% delivered preterm. No difference was noted between placental basal plates from preterm or term gestations. Intracellular bacteria were found in the placental basal plates of 54% spontaneous preterm deliveries <28 weeks, and in 26% of term spontaneous deliveries (P = .02). Intracellular bacteria were also documented in placentas without clinical or pathologic chorioamnionitis. CONCLUSION: A total of 27% of placentas demonstrated intracellular bacteria in the placental basal plate using morphological techniques. Thus, the maternal basal plate is a possible source of intrauterine colonization and placental pathological examination could include examination for bacteria in this important maternal-fetal interface.
OBJECTIVE: Bacteria have been identified in different regions of the placenta. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the maternal basal plate of the placenta harbors microbes that may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional study of pregnancies from a single tertiary care hospital. Maternal medical and obstetric characteristics were obtained and pregnancies followed up prospectively for outcomes and placental collection. After delivery, systematic random sampling of the placental basal plate was performed. Paraffin sections of basal plates were stained with 4 histologic stains and scored for morphological evidence of bacteria. RESULTS: Of 195 total patients in the study, Gram-positive and -negative intracellular bacteria of diverse morphologies were documented in the basal plates of 27% of all placentas. Of the patients, 35% delivered preterm. No difference was noted between placental basal plates from preterm or term gestations. Intracellular bacteria were found in the placental basal plates of 54% spontaneous preterm deliveries <28 weeks, and in 26% of term spontaneous deliveries (P = .02). Intracellular bacteria were also documented in placentas without clinical or pathologic chorioamnionitis. CONCLUSION: A total of 27% of placentas demonstrated intracellular bacteria in the placental basal plate using morphological techniques. Thus, the maternal basal plate is a possible source of intrauterine colonization and placental pathological examination could include examination for bacteria in this important maternal-fetal interface.
Authors: M A Klebanoff; J C Carey; J C Hauth; S L Hillier; R P Nugent; E A Thom; J M Ernest; R P Heine; R J Wapner; W Trout; A Moawad; K J Leveno; M Miodovnik; B M Sibai; J P Van Dorsten; M P Dombrowski; M J O'Sullivan; M Varner; O Langer; D McNellis; J M Roberts Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2001-08-16 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: J C Carey; M A Klebanoff; J C Hauth; S L Hillier; E A Thom; J M Ernest; R P Heine; R P Nugent; M L Fischer; K J Leveno; R Wapner; M Varner Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2000-02-24 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: R Romero; M Sirtori; E Oyarzun; C Avila; M Mazor; R Callahan; V Sabo; A P Athanassiadis; J C Hobbins Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol Date: 1989-09 Impact factor: 8.661
Authors: Marc Lecuit; D Michael Nelson; Steve D Smith; Huot Khun; Michel Huerre; Marie-Cécile Vacher-Lavenu; Jeffrey I Gordon; Pascale Cossart Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2004-04-08 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Panagiotis S Kabouridis; Reena Lasrado; Sarah McCallum; Song Hui Chng; Hugo J Snippert; Hans Clevers; Sven Pettersson; Vassilis Pachnis Journal: Gut Microbes Date: 2015
Authors: Sarah Bajorek; Leslie Parker; Nan Li; Kathryn Winglee; Michael Weaver; James Johnson; Michael Sioda; Josee Gauthier; Dominick J Lemas; Christian Jobin; Graciela Lorca; Josef Neu; Anthony A Fodor Journal: Gut Microbes Date: 2018-11-07
Authors: Martha Scott Tomlinson; Kun Lu; Jill R Stewart; Carmen J Marsit; T Michael O'Shea; Rebecca C Fry Journal: Clin Microbiol Rev Date: 2019-05-01 Impact factor: 26.132
Authors: Errol R Norwitz; Elizabeth A Bonney; Victoria V Snegovskikh; Michelle A Williams; Mark Phillippe; Joong Shin Park; Vikki M Abrahams Journal: Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med Date: 2015-04-27 Impact factor: 6.915