thromboplastin and Puerperal-Disorders

We employed a novel mouse line that expresses low levels of human tissue factor (TF) in the absence of murine TF to analyze the role of TF in gestation. Low-TF female mice had a 14-18% incidence of fatal postpartum uterine hemorrhage, suggesting that TF plays an important role in uterine hemostasis. Low-TF female mice mated with low-TF male mice had a 42% incidence of fatal midgestational hemorrhage (n = 41), whereas no fatal midgestational hemorrhages were observed in low-TF female mice mated with wild-type male mice (n = 43). Placentas of low-TF embryos from both low-TF and normal (+/-) TF females were abnormal and contained numerous maternal blood pools in the labyrinth. Placentas of TF null embryos surviving beyond embryonic day 10.5 exhibited similar defects. The mouse maternal-embryonic placental barrier consists of four cellular layers (layers I, II, and III and endothelial cells), where layer I lines the maternal lacunae. Comparison of TF-deficient placentas with control placentas by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses revealed thinning of layer I and a reduction in the number of cellular contacts of layer I trophoblasts spanning the maternal blood space between adjacent trabeculae. These structural changes in low-TF and TF null placentas result in enlarged maternal lacunae, as determined by morphometric analysis, and placental hemorrhage, which leads to midgestational death of low-TF female mice. This study demonstrated that TF is required for uterine hemostasis and revealed an unexpected role of TF in the maintenance of the placental labyrinth.

Topics: Animals; Crosses, Genetic; Female; Hemostasis; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Placenta; Pregnancy; Puerperal Disorders; Thromboplastin; Uterine Hemorrhage; Uterus

Topics: Blood Coagulation; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Female; Humans; Hypoxia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Puerperal Disorders; Thromboplastin; Toxins, Biological

Topics: Adult; Antibodies; Antigens; Appendectomy; Blood Coagulation Disorders; Blood Coagulation Factors; Blood Coagulation Tests; Blood Transfusion; Factor VII; Factor X; Female; Hematuria; Hemorrhage; Heterozygote; Humans; Hypoprothrombinemias; Immunodiffusion; Italy; Neutralization Tests; Pedigree; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic; Puerperal Disorders; Thromboplastin; Tooth Extraction

Topics: Adult; Cardiomyopathies; Coronary Disease; Female; Fetomaternal Transfusion; Humans; Myocardium; Pregnancy; Puerperal Disorders; Thromboplastin

Topics: Blood Coagulation Tests; Delivery, Obstetric; Female; Hemophilia B; Humans; Pathology; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Puerperal Disorders; Thromboplastin; von Willebrand Diseases