Breakdown of the balance between maternal pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways is thought to allow an anti-fetal maternal immune response that underlies development of chronic placental inflammation. Chronic placental inflammation is manifested by the influx of maternal inflammatory cells, including lymphocytes, histiocytes, and plasma cells, into the placental membranes, villi, and decidua. The...

The alkaline phosphatase activity expressed by JAR choriocarcinoma cells was compared to the placental isoenzyme of human alkaline phosphatase by several criteria. JAR cell alkaline phosphatase was similar to the placental isoenzyme with respect to heat and urea stability and sensitivity to most inhibitors, but it differed significantly from placental alkaline phosphatase in its sensitivity to ...

BACKGROUND Breast cancer during pregnancy is often more advanced than in non-pregnant women. Nevertheless, no case of metastasis inside the placenta has been reported. Previously, we showed that placental-explants eliminated breast cancer cells from their surroundings, due to cell-death and elevated migration. Our objective was to find the underlying mechanisms of these phenomena. METHODS AND...

BACKGROUND Progesterone levels are higher in placental barriers during pregnancy, but the effect of progesterone on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in placental cells has not been addressed. We hypothesize that progesterone may affect HIV infection. METHODS Purified trophoblastic cells and trophoblastic cell lines were infected or transfected with HIV-1, and the effect o...

Workshops are an important part of the IFPA annual meeting. At the IFPA meeting 2008 diverse topics were discussed in 12 themed workshops. Topics covered included: immunology of placentation; galectins and trophoblast invasion; signaling in implantation and invasion; markers to identify trophoblast subpopulations; placental pathology; placental toxicology; stereology; placental transport of fat...

Sebastes schlegelii is a commercially important fish with special viviparous reproductive system that cultured in near-shore seawater net cages East Asia. In the gonadal development of species, gonad males mature before those females, which after mating. Mating male/female fishes occurs October each year. Then, females undergoing oocyte maturation complete fertilization using stored sperm March...

We have recently reported that human pregnancy is characterized by a 10- to 20-fold elevation of eosinophil major basic protein (MBP) immunoreactivity in maternal blood. Here we show, by immunofluorescence, that placental tissue specifically binds antibody to MBP in and around the placental X cells and placental-site giant cells and, using thin plastic sections, that placenta has no infiltratin...

Background: The presence of cancer makes it difficult to predict the progress of pregnancy and can be deleterious to the maternal-foetal relationship. Apoptosis may affect a range of placental functions and result in the retardation of foetal growth. In this work, we investigated the placental alterations produced by tumour growth and the effects on the expression of apoptotic precursors in pla...