Travaglino A, et al. - As placental dysfunction appears crucial in early-onset preeclampsia, a form of preeclampsia requiring delivery before 34 weeks of gestation, researchers evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, the angiogenetic factors VEGF and PlGF, and the epithelial factors HGF, c-Met and STAT3 in placental samples, obtained from 41 women with early-onset preeclampsia (cases) and from 31 uncomplicated pregnancies (controls). Cases had a mean gestational age of 32 weeks and controls had a mean gestational age of 39 weeks. Microscopically, a disorder of villous development as distal villous hypoplasia with placental undergrowth was observed in sections from women with preeclampsia. Further, they noted simultaneously impaired apoptotic, angiogenetic and epithelial mechanisms that may contribute to placental dysfunctions.