SARS-CoV-2 Infection during Delivery Causes Histopathological Changes in the Placenta

Abstract

Background: SARS-CoV-2 can damage human placentas, leading to pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and premature birth. This study investigates the histopathological changes found in COVID-19-affected placentas. Materials and Methods: This study included 23 placentas from patients with active COVID-19 during delivery and 22 samples from patients without COVID-19 infection in their medical history. The samples underwent histopathological examination for pathology, such as trophoblast necrosis, signs of vessel damage, or fetal vascular malperfusion. Results: Newborns from the research group have lower weights and Apgar scores than healthy newborns. In the COVID-19 group, calcifications and collapsed intervillous space were more frequent, and inflammation was more severe than in the healthy group. At the same time, the placenta of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients showed signs of accelerated vascular maturation. Trophoblast necrosis was found only in the placentas of the research group. The expression of CD68+ was elevated in the COVID-19 cohort, suggesting that macrophages constituted a significant part of the inflammatory infiltrate. The increase in lymphocyte B markers was associated with placental infarctions, while high levels of CD3+, specific for cytotoxic T lymphocytes, correlated with vascular injury. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 is associated with pathological changes in the placenta, including trophoblast necrosis, calcification, and accelerated villous maturation. Those changes appear to be driven by T cells and macrophages, whose increased expression reflects ongoing histiocytic intervillositis in the placenta.