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Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Patterns of cytokine profiles differ with pregnancy outcome and ethnicity
Digna R Velez1, Stephen J Fortunato, Nicole Morgan
1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Insights
Cytokine networks, not single factors, influence preterm birth (PTB) risk. Differences in these inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine correlations were observed between African American and Caucasian mothers, especially in PTB cases.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Immunology
- Genetics
Background:
- Preterm birth (PTB) is a complex condition potentially driven by inflammatory processes.
- Individual factors likely do not fully explain PTB risk; coordinated cytokine networks are implicated.
- Understanding ethnic differences in PTB risk factors is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationships between amniotic fluid (AF) cytokines/chemokines and related biomarkers in PTB and normal term deliveries.
- To compare these relationships between African American and Caucasian pregnant mothers.
- To identify potential ethnic-specific risk factors for PTB.
Main Methods:
- Collected AF samples from African American and Caucasian mothers undergoing preterm labor and term labor.
- Measured levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, sTNFR1, sTNFR2) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10).
- Analyzed correlations between biomarkers and compared correlation coefficients between ethnic groups and delivery types, including cases with microbial invasion of the intra-amniotic cavity (MIAC).
Main Results:
- Observed significant differences in cytokine/chemokine biomarker correlations between African American and Caucasian groups in both preterm and term births.
- In term births, differences were prominent between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine correlations.
- In PTB, differences were equally distributed between pro-/anti-inflammatory and pro-/pro-inflammatory cytokine correlations. Three correlation patterns differed significantly in African Americans with and without MIAC, but not in Caucasians.
Conclusions:
- Cytokine measurements reveal coordinated interplay during pregnancy, with significant ethnic differences observed.
- These correlation analyses offer insights into understanding PTB risk factors in diverse populations.
- Further research into cytokine networks can elucidate mechanisms underlying PTB disparities.
Background:
Preterm birth (PTB) is hypothesized to be an inflammatory response disease. However, no single factor alone is likely to explain PTB risk. It is more probable that coordinated networks of cytokines affect risk.
Methods:
Therefore, we examined the relationships between amniotic fluid (AF) cytokines/chemokines and related biomarkers in PTB and normal term deliveries in African Americans and Caucasians. Data were obtained from African American (41 preterm labor and 91 term labor) and Caucasian (105 preterm labor and 100 term labor) pregnant mothers. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and related molecules interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF)-alpha, TNF soluble receptors (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2), and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 that were all previously associated with PTB were studied. Correlations between biomarkers were calculated; differences of correlation coefficients between AF from African American and Caucasian samples in preterm labor and term labor were measured.
Results:
Multiple differences were observed between African American and Caucasian preterm and term birth groups. In term birth the strongest differences were between pro- and anti-inflammatory correlations, whereas in PTB differences were equally distributed between pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory/pro-inflammatory correlations. Three correlation patterns differed significantly between AF from PTB African Americans with and without microbial invasion of the intra-amniotic cavity (MIAC); no differences were observed in Caucasians with MIAC.
Conclusion:
Correlation analyses of cytokine measurements suggest coordinated interplay during pregnancy; significant differences exist between African Americans and Caucasians. Such analyses can serve as a means of understanding risk factors in these populations.
