Abnormalities in glucose metabolism linked to D-chiro-inostol phosphoglycans (IPGs) have been described in human placentas of preeclamptic women. In this study, a semi-quantitative approach to assess the histological assessment of IPGs revealed no significant differences between early and late onset preeclampsia and gestational age matched controls. However, there was a tendency towards higher values in early onset preeclampsia for villous stroma and placental vessels. Moreover, in control cases staining of plasma in placental vessels was present only in one part of vessels of mature intermediate villi while in preeclamptic specimens all placental vessels showed a similar staining. The tendencies of more staining in villous stroma associated with a differential staining of placental vessels only in preeclamptic specimens support a vectoral movement of D-chiro-inositol phosphoglycans from the fetus to the placenta.