Assessment of Antibacterial Therapy of Chlamydiosis During Pregnancy in Placenta

Abstract

The aim of the investigation was to assess morphologically an antibacterial therapy of chlamydiosis during pregnancy relying on structural and functional changes of decidual cells of placenta. Materials and Methods. We studied 6000 decidual cells from three placental areas (central, paracentral and marginal) by means of histostereometry using standard histological techniques. The cells were taken from puerperas, who had in their past histories untreated chlamydiosis and chlamydiosis treated by antibacterial drugs during pregnancy. We measured diameters of cells and their nuclei, calculated cell number per 1 mm2. Decidual cells were classified by cell populations, and nuclear volume variation curves were plotted. Results. The placentas infected by Chlamydia trachomatis were found to have decreased cell proliferation mechanisms and diminishing total nuclear volume to placental periphery with compensatory processes being concentrated in the paracentral area. All these changes were caused mainly by the fraction of small decidual cells. Primarily, basal lamina responded to antibacterial therapy by decreased volume of cells, their nuclei and cytoplasm in the marginal area of placenta. Moreover, nuclear cytoplasmic ratio in basal lamina was near to normal, while in septa it remained rather high throughout the placenta. A therapeutic effect of antibiotics on chlamydiosis during pregnancy was shown by the decrease of total volume of cellular-nuclear material in basal lamina throughout the placenta. After therapy, K-cell count decreased and large decidual cell count grew. Conclusion. Antibiotics have low therapeutic effect on morphological changes of placental cells in chlamydiosis treatment: cell proliferative processes are weak against the significant decrease of immunoregulatory functions.