Fig. 1.Hematoxylin eosin staining (a,b) and immunostaining (c–f) of the placental
sections. Bar: 50 µm, magnification: 20. (a) Control group: Regular cubical epithelium (black arrow), regular
basement membrane (red arrow), chorionic vacuolar structures (black star). (b)
PPROM group: Inflammatory cell infiltration (black arrow), vessel wall thinning
(green arrow), enlargement of syncytial nodes (red arrow), dilatation,
congestion, and thrombosis (black star), fibrinoid accumulation (blue star). (c)
Control group: Negative caspase-3 expression in amniotic epithelium (black
arrow), negative caspase-3 expression in syncytial nodes (red arrow), vascular
endothelium (arrowhead), hofbauer cell (green arrow), and fibrinoid accumulation
(black star). (d) PPROM group: Positive caspase-3 expression in the amniotic
epithelium (black arrow), chorioamniotic membrane thinning (red arrow), vessel
wall (arrowhead), fibrinoid accumulation (blue star), and inflammatory cells
(black star). (e) Control group: Tumor necrosis factor-
(TNF-) positive in endothelial cells (black star), macrophage cells
(black arrow). (f) PPROM group: Positive TNF- expression in
inflammatory cells (black arrow) and macrophages (black star), dilated and
thrombosed vessels (red arrow).