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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Pro-inflammatory maternal cytokine profile in preterm delivery
M Makhseed1, R Raghupathy, S El-Shazly
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait. valsa@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Problem:
The objective of this study was to determine the levels of cytokines produced by maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) upon stimulation with a mitogen, with autologous placental cells and with a trophoblast antigen extract.
Method Of Study:
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 54 women with a history of successful pregnancy and 30 women undergoing preterm delivery (PTD) were stimulated with the mitogen and antigens, and the cytokine levels in mitogen-stimulated culture supernatants assessed.
Results:
Significantly higher levels of the type 1 cytokines, interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-2, were produced by the PTD group than by the normal pregnancy group, which on the contrary showed significantly greater production of the type 2 cytokines, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10. A comparison of the ratios of type 2 to type 1 cytokines is indicative of a type 1 cytokine bias in PTD.
Conclusions:
These data are suggestive of a maternal type 1 cytokine bias in PTD.
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