Botta Carolina, Pellegrini Giovanni, Hässig Michael, Pesch Theresa, Prähauser Barbara, Wunderlin Sabina, Guscetti Franco, Schneeberger Marianne, Schmitt Sarah, Basso Walter, Hilbe Monika, Schuler Gerhard, Borel Nicole
1 Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Zurich, Vetsuisse Faculty, Zurich, Switzerland.
2 Department for Farm Animals, University of Zurich, Vetsuisse Faculty, Zurich, Switzerland.
Vet Pathol. 2019 Mar;56(2):248-258. doi: 10.1177/0300985818806453. Epub 2018 Oct 24.
Bovine abortion is a worldwide problem, but despite extensive histopathologic and molecular investigations, the cause of abortion remains unclear in about 70% of cases. Cellular debris is a commonly observed histopathologic finding in the fetal placenta and is often interpreted as necrosis. In this study, the nature of this cellular debris was characterized, and histologic changes in the normal fetal placenta during pregnancy and after delivery were assessed. In addition, the presence of the most common abortifacient pathogens in Switzerland ( Chlamydiaceae, Coxiella burnetii, Neospora caninum) was tested by polymerase chain reaction. We collected 51 placentomes and 235 cotyledons from 41 and from 50 cows, respectively. In total, cellular debris was present in 48 of 51 (94%) placentomes and in 225 of 235 (96%) cotyledons, inflammation occurred in 1 of 51 (2%) placentomes and in 46 of 235 (20%) cotyledons, vasculitis was seen in 1 of 51 (2%) placentomes and 46 of 235 (20%) cotyledons, and 18 of 51 (35%) placentomes and 181 of 235 (77%) cotyledons had mineralization. The amount of cellular debris correlated with areas of positive signals for cleaved caspase 3 and lamin A. Therefore, this finding was interpreted as an apoptotic process. In total, 10 of 50 cotyledons (20%) were positive for C. burnetii DNA, most likely representing subclinical infections. The results of our study indicate that histologic features in the fetal placenta such as cellular debris, inflammation, vasculitis, and mineralization must be considered physiological processes during pregnancy and after delivery. Therefore, their presence in placentae of aborted fetuses must be interpreted with caution and might not be necessarily linked to an infectious cause of abortion.
牛流产是一个全球性问题，但尽管进行了广泛的组织病理学和分子研究，约70%的流产病例病因仍不明确。细胞碎片是在胎儿胎盘中常见的组织病理学发现，常被解释为坏死。在本研究中，对这种细胞碎片的性质进行了表征，并评估了妊娠期间和分娩后正常胎儿胎盘的组织学变化。此外，通过聚合酶链反应检测了瑞士最常见的流产病原体（衣原体科、伯氏考克斯氏体、犬新孢子虫）的存在情况。我们分别从41头和50头牛中收集了51个胎盘叶和235个绒毛叶。总体而言，51个胎盘叶中的48个（94%）和235个绒毛叶中的225个（96%）存在细胞碎片，51个胎盘叶中的1个（2%）和235个绒毛叶中的46个（20%）出现炎症，51个胎盘叶中的1个（2%）和235个绒毛叶中的46个（20%）可见血管炎，51个胎盘叶中的18个（35%）和235个绒毛叶中的181个（77%）有矿化现象。细胞碎片的数量与裂解的半胱天冬酶3和核纤层蛋白A的阳性信号区域相关。因此，这一发现被解释为一个凋亡过程。总共50个绒毛叶中的10个（20%）伯氏考克斯氏体DNA呈阳性，很可能代表亚临床感染。我们的研究结果表明，胎儿胎盘的组织学特征，如细胞碎片、炎症、血管炎和矿化，必须被视为妊娠期间和分娩后的生理过程。因此，在流产胎儿的胎盘中发现这些特征时必须谨慎解释，不一定与流产的感染原因有关。
