Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas
05:31

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas

Published on: January 26, 2024

Monocytes of preeclamptic women spontaneously synthesize pro-inflammatory cytokines

Patrizia Luppi1, Julie A Deloia

  • 1Division of Immunogenetics, Department of Pediatrics, Rangos Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 3460 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. luppip@pitt.edu

Clinical Immunology (Orlando, Fla.)
|December 13, 2005
PubMed

The maternal syndrome preeclampsia is characterized by a generalized inflammatory response with activation of circulating leukocytes and altered levels of inflammatory cytokines. We hypothesized that one potential source of inflammatory cytokines during preeclampsia is the circulating maternal monocytes. By using flow cytometry, we found that the spontaneous intracellular synthesis of IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 in monocytes of preeclamptic women was higher than in normal pregnant and non-pregnant women. The highest levels of cytokines were detected in women with the most abnormal laboratory values. When stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the percentage of IL-1beta+ monocytes was lower in preeclampsia (72.6% +/- 8.2 SEM) than in normal pregnancy (90.7% +/- 2 SEM) (P = 0.03) and non-pregnant women (92.5% +/- 1.4 SEM) (P = 0.04) suggesting that monocytes from preeclamptic patients cannot be further stimulated. These results indicate that maternal circulating monocytes represent a source of inflammatory cytokines during preeclampsia.

More Related Videos

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface08:19

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface

Published on: May 21, 2015

Isolation of Primary Human Decidual Cells from the Fetal Membranes of Term Placentae07:37

Isolation of Primary Human Decidual Cells from the Fetal Membranes of Term Placentae

Published on: April 30, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells01:15

Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells

Common myeloid progenitors (CMPs) are oligopotent cells that can differentiate into granulocytes and macrophages. Granulocytes and macrophages are essential for protecting the body against bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. They migrate from the bone marrow into the circulating blood to reach specific tissue sites where they differentiate and help in immune surveillance. However, they survive only for a few days and must be continuously made available to the organism to maintain a robust...
Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects01:25

Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects

Acute inflammation produces a coordinated set of local and systemic changes that limit injury, eliminate pathogens, and initiate repair. These responses arise within minutes of infection, trauma, or chemical insult and are driven by vascular alterations and leukocyte-derived mediators. When the stimulus resolves, the reaction typically abates within days.Local EffectsAt the site of injury, arteriolar vasodilation increases blood flow, resulting in redness and warmth. Simultaneously, increased...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease01:25

Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic, relapsing form of inflammatory bowel disease characterized by segmental, transmural inflammation that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Its pathogenesis arises from a combination of genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and immune dysregulation. Together, these factors lead to an exaggerated immune response against components of the gut microbiome.Genetic and Environmental InfluencesMultiple genetic...