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Pulmonary innate immune response and melatonin receptors in the perinatal stress
Janaínna Grazielle Pacheco Olegário1, Marcos Vinícius Silva, Juliana Reis Machado
1Discipline of General Pathology, Triângulo Mineiro Federal University, Avenida Frei Paulino No. 30, Bairro Abadia, 38025-180 Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
Insights
Perinatal stress impacts pulmonary immune responses and melatonin
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neonatology
- Pathology
Background:
- Perinatal stress can significantly affect infant health.
- Understanding the pulmonary immune response in neonates is crucial for predicting outcomes.
- Melatonin's role in modulating immune responses warrants further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between perinatal stress and innate immune pulmonary cytokines.
- To analyze the local response capacity to melatonin in neonates under stress.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 49 pediatric autopsies.
- Evaluation of cytokines (IL-6, CRP, IL-1β, TNF-α) and melatonin receptors via immunohistochemistry.
- Stratification by cause of death, perinatal stress, gestational age, and birth weight.
Main Results:
- Elevated IL-6 expression correlated with chronic stress, anoxia, infection, and weight-to-gestational age ratio.
- CRP levels were higher in chronic stress and premature cases.
- Melatonin receptor expression significantly increased in cases of chronic stress, especially with co-occurring infection.
Conclusions:
- Perinatal stress and cause of death influence pulmonary melatonin and innate immune cytokine expression.
- IL-6 and CRP levels may help predict outcomes in stressed neonates.
- Increased lung sensitivity to melatonin suggests a potential mechanism for controlling immunological stress responses.
Objective:
To analyze the cytokines of the innate immune pulmonary response and the capacity for local response to melatonin according to the perinatal stress.
Methods:
49 cases of pediatric autopsies were evaluated, divided according to cause of death, perinatal stress, gestational age, and birth weight. The percentages of IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-1β, TNF-α, and melatonin receptor were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.
Results:
The IL-6 expression was higher in the children showing chronic stress, anoxia, and infection. The IL-6 expression showed a progressive increase according to the relation between weight and GA. There was no significant difference in the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α. The CRP expression was higher in the cases showing chronic stress and premature cases. The expression of melatonin receptors was significantly higher in the cases showing chronic stress, being more evident in the cases showing infection.
Conclusion:
The cause of death and the type of stress influence the expression in situ of melatonin and cytokines of the innate immune pulmonary response. The evaluation of IL-6 and CRP may contribute to the understanding of the evolution of neonates with chronic stress. The greater sensitivity of the lung to melatonin in these cases may indicate an attempt at controlling the immunological response, in an attempt to diminish the harmful effects of stress.
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