Placentas from women with pregnancy-associated venous insufficiency show villi damage with evidence of hypoxic cellular stress

Lower extremity venous insufficiency (VI) is a complication of pregnancy. The potential association of this venous disease with structural damage of the placenta has not been described. We analyzed the pattern of histopathological lesions and the gene and protein expression of HIF1-α and apoptosis regulatory proteins. A prospective study was carried out on placenta samples from 43 women with pregnancy-associated VI and 24 age-matched pregnant healthy controls (HC). Women with VI showed a significant increase in the number of villi (150.77±42.55 VI versus 122.13±27.74 HC) and in syncytial knots compared to those found in placentas from HC (67.15±31.08 VI versus 42.49±17.36 HC), and an increase in the number of bridges (32.40±2.67 VI versus 22.73±2.37 HC) (P<.05).

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