Placental T-Cadherin Correlates with Trophoblastic Invasion Anomalies: Placenta Percreta and Fetal Growth Restriction

In this study, we compared the placental T-cadherin staining intensity of pregnant women with placenta percreta (PP) and asymmetrical fetal growth restriction (FGR) compared with healthy control pregnancies. Placental T-cadherin levels of the placenta of 86 pregnant women in total, 25 with FGR, 30 with healthy pregnant subjects, and 31 with PP, were examined using monoclonal anti-T-cadherin (CDH13) antibody for immunohistochemical examination. In immunohistochemistry, H-scores were used for each group to compare the expression of T-cadherin in extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells. T-cadherin H-score of EVTs was highest in the FGR group and the lowest in the PP group. The difference in H-score between the FGR group and the control group was not statistically significant (P=0.344). The difference between the PP group and the other 2 groups was significant (P<0.0001). Multivariable linear regression analysis with a stepwise elimination method was performed in order to identify demographic and clinical parameters with significant effects on the T-cadherin H-score of EVTs. The estimation results identified only the disease group as a significant predictor of the H-score of EVTs (R ²=0.340, P<0.0001). The highest T-cadherin H-score of EVTs was found in the FGR group and the lowest in the PP group. The low T-cadherin H-score values in the PP group suggest that low T-cadherin EVTs may be associated with increased placental invasion. Likewise, despite the statistical insignificance, a higher T-cadherin H-score of EVTs in FGR compared with controls implies a decreased invasiveness of the placenta in FGR.