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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
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Published on: August 12, 2020
Interleukin-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 mRNA expression in perinatally infected and asphyxiated preterm
E Petrakou1, A Mouchtouri, E Levi
1Neonatal Immunology Laboratory of B Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Insights
Neonatal inflammation from perinatal infection (PI) and perinatal asphyxia (PA) affects chemokine mRNA levels differently. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) responses vary between whole blood and activated lymphocytes in these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal immunology
- Inflammatory response
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Perinatal infection (PI) and perinatal asphyxia (PA) cause inflammation, potentially damaging fetal and neonatal tissues, especially the brain.
- Neonatal immune systems can elevate serum chemokine protein levels during PI and PA-induced inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the proinflammatory chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1).
- To analyze these chemokine mRNA levels in peripheral blood leukocytes of neonates experiencing PI or PA.
Main Methods:
- Studied 42 premature neonates: 11 with PI, 16 with PA, and 15 controls.
- Assessed IL-8 and MCP-1 mRNA levels in whole blood and phytohemagglutinin-activated lymphocytes.
- Utilized semi-quantitative and real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques.
Main Results:
- IL-8 mRNA significantly increased in whole blood during both PA and PI; MCP-1 mRNA did not.
- Activated lymphocytes showed significantly increased IL-8 mRNA during PI, but not PA.
- Activated lymphocytes showed significantly increased MCP-1 mRNA during PA, but not PI.
Conclusions:
- Chemokine mRNA expression in activated lymphocytes differs between PI and PA.
- Findings suggest distinct therapeutic strategies for managing PI and PA-induced inflammation.
- Implications for using chemokine antagonists to mitigate tissue damage in neonates.
Background:
Inflammation due to perinatal infection (PI) and perinatal asphyxia (PA) may cause damage to various tissues and very often to the immature brain of the fetus and the newborn. Previously, we have shown that the neonatal immune system has the ability to produce increased chemokine protein levels in the serum during the inflammatory response caused by PI and PA.
Aim:
The aim of our present study was to investigate mRNA levels of the proinflammatory chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in peripheral blood leukocytes from infected and asphyxiated neonates.
Methods:
Forty-two premature neonates were studied; 11 with PI, 16 with PA and 15 without PA and PI, were used as controls. IL-8 and MCP-1 mRNA levels were investigated in whole blood and in phytohemagglutinin-activated lymphocytes using semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively.
Results:
IL-8 mRNA levels were significantly increased in whole blood both during PA and PI, while MCP-1 mRNA levels were not. In vitro activated lymphocytes expressed significantly increased IL-8 mRNA levels during PI, whereas no increase was observed during PA. MCP-1 mRNA levels were significantly increased in activated lymphocytes during PA, while no increase was observed during PI.
Conclusions:
Our data show that chemokine mRNA levels expressed by activated lymphocytes during inflammation caused by PIs are different to those expressed during PAs. These findings might have important implications during the administration of specific chemokine antagonists in order to prevent or reduce tissue damage caused by inflammation.
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