Expression and significance of collagen III and TNF-α in fetal membranes of premature of human fetal membranes

Objective:To detect the expression of collagen Ⅲ and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αin fetal membranes of premature rupture of human fetal membranes(PROM)and non-PROM,to explore their roles and correlations in the etiology of PROM,and to analyze and deduce the different etiology of term PROM(tPROM)and preterm PROM(pPROM).Methods:18 cases of pPROM and 20 cases of tPROM and 20 cases of premature deliveries and 20 cases of term deliveries were selected.All the fetal membranes was immediately taken from the site which was far away from the rupture membranes after cesarean section.The samples were staining with hematoxylin and eosin(HE)for morphology observation.The collagenⅢ and TNF-αlevels were detected with streptavidin peroxidase biotin(SP)immunohistochemistry was made and the linear correlation analysis was conducted.Results:①The integrity of the fetal membranes were poor,amnion epithelial cell and the basement membranes presented diasocidtion pheaomend,the fibrillar collagen and amnion extracellular matrix(ECM)were disordered state and deceased in pPROM group.②The expression of collagenⅢ and TNF-α with different levels was seen in fetal membranes of the four groups.CollagenⅢ was major fixed in the ECM of amnion and TNF-αwas expressed in chorion trophocyte.③In pPROM group and tPROM group,collagen Ⅲ were all decreased significantly compared to those of the corresponding control groups(P0.05).Less expression of collagen Ⅲ was found in pPROM than that in tPROM group(P0.01).The expression of TNF-α in pPROM and tPROM group increased significantly compared with those of the corresponding control groups(P0.01).The level of TNF-α was lower in pPROM than that of tPROM,but had no significance(P0.05).④For tPROM pregnant women,collagen Ⅲ was negatively correlated with TNF-α(r=-0.655,P0.01).But no correlation was found in pPROM pregnant women(r=-0.385,P0.05).Conclusion:①The cause of tPROM is probably related with the degeneration of fetal membranes and the various factors induced excessive apoptosis.The reasons of pPROM are probably prone to the disorder of fetal membranes.②There might be the same results that lead to the abnormality of fetal membranes construction between pPROM and tPROM,however the mechanism is different.