Table 3.
Lesion severity in sites indicative of maternal inflammatory response (MIR), fetal inflammatory response (FIR), or a potential mixture (MIXED) of both maternal and fetal components was impacted by treatment group.
| Group | MIRa,b,c | Severe MIRc | FIRa,b,c | Severe FIRc | MIXEDa,b,c | Severe MIXEDc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 2.3 ± 1.2 | 0/12 (0%) | 3.2 ± 1.6 | 0/12 (0%) | 1.6 ± 1.4 | 0/12 (0%) |
| MP only | 4.5 ± 2.0 | 5/18 (28%) | 7.2 ± 2.6 | 0/12 (0%) | 5.5 ± 2.7 | 3/17 (18%) |
| Nic Only | 4.8 ± 1.5 | 8/26 (31%) | 13.0 ± 7.5 | 7/20 (35%) | 7.3 ± 4.7 | 8/27 (30%) |
| Nic + MP | 6.0 ± 2.1 | 17/28 (61%) | 11.0 ± 6.3 | 8/25 (32%) | 5.8 ± 4.0 | 7/28 (25%) |
Results are presented as mean lesion score ± SD, or as proportion of total having severe scores
aA score of 0–3 was assigned for both acute and chronic inflammation at a specific site; 0 = little to no inflammation, 1 = mild inflammation, 2 = moderate inflammation, and 3 = severe inflammation, with a maximum score of 6. If tissue damage was so advanced that neutrophils could not be assessed, a score of 7 was assigned to indicate maximum lesion severity.
bMIR lesion score = sum of subchorion and choriodecidua lesion scores; maximum possible score = 14; severe MIR = lesion score ≥ 6. FIR lesion score = sum of chorionic vessels, umbilical arteries, umbilical vein, and Wharton's jelly lesion scores; maximum possible score = 28; severe FIR = lesion score ≥ 12. MIXED lesion score = sum of chorionic plate, visceral yolk sac, and amnion tissues lesion scores; maximum possible score = 21; severe MIXED = lesion score ≥ 9.
cStatistically significant differences (Kruskal-Wallis) among the groups for overall lesion score are shown in bold. MIR lesion scores: All treatment groups > control, P < 0.05. FIR lesion score: both Nic only and Nic + MP > control (P < 0.0001). MIXED: all treatment groups > control (P < 0.003). Statistically significant differences (Fischer exact test) among the groups for severe lesions are shown in bold. Severe MIR: Nic + MP group > control (P < 0.0003) and both MP only and Nic only (P < 0.05) treatment groups; Nic only group > control group (P < 0.05). Severe FIR: Both Nic only and Nic + MP > both control and MP only groups (P < 0.05). Severe MIXED: Nic only (P < 0.05) > control group.