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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
[Secretion and regulation of cytokines during pregnancy and gestosis]
H-J Strittmatter1, S R Blecken
1Alfried-Krupp-Krankenhaus, Essen, Germany. hans-joachim.strittmatter@krupp-krankenhaus.de
Objective:
Pregnancy-induced hypertension is still a common cause for fetal morbidity and mortality besides causing life-threatening diseases for the mother. The aethiology of this disease is still unclear. Some research support the theory of an immunological genesis.
Patients And Methods:
32 patients were treated for gestosis or HELLP-Syndrome in our clinic. A number of data, blood samples as well as the immunological status (IL-6, Interferon-gamma. TNF-alpha und TNF-alpha-receptores p 55/p 75) of every patient were taken into consideration and compared to the results of 44 pregnant women in good health.
Results:
Predisposing factors seem to have an crucial impact on the development of PIH. Under stimulation of peripheral blood monocytes the immunological results and the measurement of cytokines showed a significantly higher concentration of TNF-alpha compared to the results of the control group. The tendency of an increase of TNF-alpha-receptors p 75 was observed however it proved to have no statistical relevant when comparing the results of both groups.
Discussion:
An new approach to examine the aethiology of pregnancy-induced hypertensive diseases consists in measuring immunotransmitters such as interferon, Interleukin and the tumor necrosis factor. The increased concentration of TNF-alpha and TNF-alpha-receptor shows the involvement of the cytokines thus supporting the hypothesis of an immunological genesis.
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