Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) in Human Placenta and its Role in Growth of Placenta and Fetus

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic growth factor having both angiogenic and vascular permeability elements. It helps in the development of first blood vessels and the formation of new vessels from the existing vessels. VEGF stimulates the proliferation of cytotrophoblast cells for the invasion of decidua and spiral artery remodelling. This process initiates uteroplacental circulation and helps in nutrition transport. It also stimulates nitric oxide, a vasodilator, reduces peripheral resistance of the maternal vessel and increases cardiac output thereby increases nutrition transport. These roles of VEGF in early pregnancy are associated with the growth of the placenta and fetus. But there is a lack of literature on its role in the growth in later stages of pregnancy and also discrepancies about its expression at term. Studying relationships between the VEGF level with placental and fetal parameters will explain its role in growth. This factor has been studied as a prediction marker for pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction pregnancies. However, the results varied. Therefore, a marker alone may not be beneficial in understanding the pathology. Therefore, there is a need to study its expression level and its relationship with growth parameters and factors influencing the VEGF expression, which will be beneficial in understanding the outcome of the complicated pregnancies. Objective: To study the expression of VEGF in fetal growth by placental morphology and its immunohistochemistry.