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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Genetic regulation of cervical antiinflammatory cytokine concentrations during pregnancy
Hyagriv N Simhan1, Kelli K Ryckman, Scott M Williams
1Department of Obstetrics, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of maternal genotype to the concentration of interleukin (IL)-4, -10, and -13 in the cervix during the first trimester in the context of bacterial vaginosis and cigarette smoking.
Study Design:
In this prospective cohort of 116 pregnant women, we examined 72 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 6 genes: IL-4, IL-4 receptor, IL-10, IL-10 receptor alpha, IL-10 receptor beta, and IL-13.
Results:
Among black women, an IL-10 receptor beta SNP (rs6517158) demonstrated significant association with IL-10 concentration (P = .04), adjusted for bacterial vaginosis. Among white women, there were 4 SNPs in IL-10 receptor alpha with a highly significant association with IL-10 concentration, adjusted for bacterial vaginosis and smoking.
Conclusion:
Our data demonstrate a significant relation between cervical concentrations of IL-10 and SNPs in the IL-10 receptor alpha and beta genes. The contribution of genotype to IL-10 concentration is significant, even in the consideration of bacterial vaginosis and smoking.
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