INTERFERON-ALPHA LEVEL IN FULL-TERM PLACENTAS OF PATIENTS WHO HAD COVID-19 6–12 MONTHS BEFORE CONCEPTION
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Abstract
Post-COVID-19 may be accompanied by the prolonged persistence of immune and vascular disorders. At the same time, the characteristics of interferon alpha expression in the placenta during pregnancy that occurs 6-12 months after the disease have not been sufficiently studied.
The purpose of the study is a comparative assessment of IFNα expression in placentas from full-term gestation in patients who had COVID-19 6-12 months – before conception, with a comparison of their clinical and anamnestic data and the histological features of the placentas.
Materials and methods. A retrospective cohort study of 40 full-term placentas was performed. The main group comprised 20 patients who had COVID-19 before conception; the comparison group comprised 20 patients without COVID-19 history. Somatic pathology, pregnancy complications and placental histology were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry for IFN-α was performed using polyclonal antibodies; expression was assessed as the percentage of immunopositive syncytiotrophoblast area using digital image analysis (QuPath software). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics 26.0.
Results. The groups were comparable in age and gestational age at delivery. IFN-α expression in placentas of group 1 was significantly lower compared to group 2 (68.99 ± 3.84% vs. 78.67 ± 3.76%; p < 0.001). In the medical history, patients in group 1 had a significantly higher frequency of uterine scar (5/20 – 25% vs. 0/20 – 0%, p = 0.017) and previous preterm births (4/20 – 20% vs. 0/20 – 0%, p = 0.035). Among pregnancy complications, anemia was less common in group 1 (5/20 – 25% vs. 13/20 – 65%, p = 0.011). Placentas in group 1 showed significantly more frequent signs of maternal and fetal vascular malperfusion.
Conclusion. In patients who had COVID-19 6-12 months before pregnancy, full-term placentas show persistently reduced IFN-α expression, associated with morphological signs of vascular malperfusion, reflecting ongoing immune and vascular dysregulation. This justifies classifying such women as a high-risk group for placental disorders and the need for preconception care.
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