Pluripotency Stem Cell Marker Expression and Apoptotic Changes in Placental Tissues of Normal and Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) Babies of Iraqi Mothers: A Comparative Study

Background: The placenta is a vital organ for embryo development, providing nutrition, waste elimination, and communication with the mother. It also facilitates nutrient transfer and stem cell creation. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can impact the unborn child's growth during pregnancy. Objective: To examine the immunohistochemical expression of NANOG and CASP3 in both normal and IUGR placental tissues. Methods: The study involved 90 healthy mothers and their babies at 38-40 weeks of pregnancy. Doppler ultrasonography confirmed idiopathic fetal IUGR. Placentas were categorized into control and IUGR groups, with each tissue block immunohistochemically stained for NANOG and CASP3 markers. Results: Expression of the NANOG antibody in placental tissue of both normal and IUGR cases revealed a low intensity of expression in both normal and IUGR placentae and not significantly different. The expression of the CASP3 marker showed statistically significant results regarding staining intensity, percentage, and total score calculation between the normal and IUGR cases. It was of low intensity in most normal cases compared to the strong intensity of marker expression in most IUGR cases. Conclusions: Embryonic stem cells showed a diminished expression by NANOG in placentae of both normal and IUGR cases attributed to the trimester of pregnancy that decreased its expression in the third trimester generally as the stem cells become less evident as we go through the trimesters of pregnancy. On the other hand, apoptosis is one of the important changes associated with placental pathology like IUGR.