What are the causes of gestational trophoblastic tumor?

I believe that many friends do not know much about gestational trophoblastic tumor, nor do they know the causes of gestational trophoblastic tumor. However, the incidence of gestational trophoblastic tumor is still quite high in recent years. Therefore, it is very necessary to understand the causes of gestational trophoblastic tumor, so as to effectively avoid the occurrence of this disease. So what are the causes of gestational trophoblastic tumor?

Gestational trophoblastic tumor refers to a tumor formed by the malignant transformation of the trophoblastic cells of the embryo. It was originally divided into two types: a benign form called "hydatidiform mole" and a malignant form called "choriocarcinoma". Later it was discovered that there was another type between these two, which was morphologically similar to hydatidiform mole but had a certain degree of malignancy and could invade the myometrium or metastasize to distant sites.

What are the causes of gestational trophoblastic tumor?

1. Malnutrition theory

Folic acid deficiency in experimental animals can cause embryonic death, and it is speculated that maternal folic acid deficiency may be related to the occurrence of trophoblastic tumors. Especially during the embryonic angiogenesis period (13 to 21 days after conception), if there is a lack of folic acid and histamine in the nutrients, it will affect the synthesis of thymine, thereby leading to a lack of blood vessels in the placental villi and embryonic necrosis. The basic pathological changes of the villi of hydatidiform mole also conform to this point.

2. Virology

Some people believe that hydatidiform mole is related to viral infection. In the 1950s, a filterable virus called "choriotropic virus" was isolated from hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma tissue, and it was believed that this virus was the cause of trophoblastic tumors. But for more than 30 years, no one has confirmed the existence of this virus. In the 1960s, some authors examined trophoblastic tumor specimens under an electron microscope and saw some inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm, which were similar to the viral particles seen in experimental leukemia. They therefore proposed that trophoblastic tumors were induced by filterable viruses, but there are also objections.

3. Endocrine disorder theory

According to the WHO comprehensive report, the incidence of hydatidiform mole in the 15-20 age group is higher than that in the 20-35 age group. The risk of the disease increases over the age of 40. The risk of hydatidiform mole after pregnancy in women over the age of 50 will be 200 times that of those in the 20-35 age group. During this period, the ovarian function is not yet completely stable or has gradually declined. Therefore, it is suspected that trophoblastic tumors are closely related to the ovarian endocrine function, and whether ovarian dysfunction is related to the production of imperfect eggs.

4. Theory of fertilized egg defect

The occurrence of hydatidiform mole is related to abnormal fertilized egg. As mentioned above, the incidence of hydatidiform mole is higher in women under 20 years old or over 40 years old. The rate of spontaneous abortion and neonatal malformation after pregnancy in women in this age group is also high, which may be related to defects in the fertilized egg itself.

5. Racial factors

Hydatidiform mole is more common in Asian countries, especially in Southeast Asia, so it is believed that it may be related to race. But racial issues are related to factors such as environment, climate, eating habits, water sources, infectious diseases, and animal vectors.

6. Cytogenetic abnormality theory

Studies on chromatin and chromosomes found that the vast majority of trophoblastic cells of hydatidiform mole were sex chromatin positive. Sex chromatin appears in the trophoblast cells of the human embryo on the 11th day and exists throughout a person's life. It shows one of the two sex chromosomes in human female interstitial cells and can be stained during division, so it can be seen under a low-power microscope.

The above is an introduction to the causes of gestational trophoblastic tumor. From the above introduction, we can know that there are many causes of gestational trophoblastic tumor. Therefore, for friends who are diagnosed with gestational trophoblastic tumor, they must go to the hospital in time to find out the cause so that they can receive symptomatic treatment.