Relationship between Periopathogenic Microorganisms in the Placenta of Pregnant Women and Preeclampsia

Background: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy related hypertensive disorder with 7-10% prevalence which occurs after 20 weeks’ gestation. Regarding the fact that preeclampsia is the second leading cause of maternal mortality after embolism, its prevention and treatment during prenatal care is of a high priority. According to the suggested association between infection and preeclampsia, periodontal infection, which is one of the most common chronic infectious disorders in humans, might be linked to preeclampsia. Thereby, the necessity of this study to confirm this relationship to reduce the preeclampsia prevalence is felt. Methods: In this case-control study, the placental samples of 46 selected patients were collected immediately after cesarean section with a sterilized technique. Form each individual, 4 placental samples were taken from the periphery and the center of both maternal and fetal sides. To make the study blind, a code was assigned to each sample. Afterwards, the samples were sent to the laboratory to be evaluated by qualitative polymerase chain reaction for the presence of five periopathogenic bacteria (actinomycetem comitans, prevotella intermedia, porphyromunas gingivalis, treponema denticula, and tannerella forsythenesis). Findings: There was no significant difference in mean age, parity, and gravidity between two groups. There was no significant difference in five microorganisms between the two groups. Conclusion: This study did not show any significant difference between preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic women with normal pregnancy regarding the periopathogenic bacterial profile of the placenta. Keywords: Pre-eclampsia, Periodontal diseases, Placenta, Pregnant women