Background: The expression of leptin and leptin receptors in human placenta and uterine endometrium and the observation that endometrial leptin secretion is enhanced in the presence of viable blastocyst links the polypeptide to early conception development, and to suggest its place among the array of regulators active during the position and adhesion phases of implantation.
Objective: the present study was performed to check the serum leptin level of early aborting females [8-12 weeks] of pregnancy before the development of the placenta. Histopathologic study of the failed abortus was also performed to check the relation between serum leptin level and failure of the trophoblastic invasion and this is the first study correlating these parameters.
Material and methods: Twenty apparently healthy females with 8-12 weeks of pregnancy were matched against thirty apparently healthy aborting females [8-12] weeks of pregnancy. All patients and healthy control were free from any endocrinologic or clinical abnormality at the time of study. Serum leptin was performed by ELISA technique and the histopathologic study was performed by light microscopy.
Results: Serum leptin level was significantly lower in aborting patients than control. Histopathologic study revealed vascular degeneration of the deciduas together with hypertrophic cytotrophoblast showing pseudopapillae sheded in the surrounding stroma in a trial to keep the pregnancy. The invasive syncytiotrophoblast was shedded lining a loose vascular stroma.
Conclusion: Failure of trophoblast invasion in early abortion was associated with low serum leptin level. Hyperplastic trophoblast with pseudopapillary formation was detected by histopathologic study which may be a trial to keep the conceptus. Further studies are needed to determinate if the low serum leptin level is a result or a cause of these changes. This is the first study correlating serum leptin level with histopathological picture early abortus.