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Updated: May 6, 2026
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Tissue-specific IL-10 secretion profile from term human fetal membranes stimulated with pathogenic microorganisms
Verónica Zaga-Clavellina1, Pilar Flores-Espinosa, Montzerrat Pineda-Torres
1Cell Biology Branch .
Objective:
Interleukin (IL)-10 is a cytokine with anti-inflammatory properties that plays pivotal roles in immune recognition and maintenance of pregnancy, limiting the harmful effects of pro-inflammatory modulators. The aim of this work was to characterize the contribution of amnion and choriodecidua regions of the human fetal membranes in the production of IL-10 after selective stimulation with Candida albicans, Gardnerella vaginalis and Streptococcus agalactiae.
Methods:
Pre-labor human fetal membranes were cultured in a two-compartment tissue culture system and stimulated with 1 × 10(6) CFU/ml of each pathogen added to either the amniotic or choriodecidual region or both.
Results:
Candida albicans and G. vaginalis were the pathogens most effective in inducing IL-10 secretion, increasing 20 and 10 times, respectively, the levels of this cytokine in the choriodecidual compartment. Stimulation with S. agalactiae was effective only in the choriodecidual region, increasing two times IL-10 concentration.
Conclusions:
Synthesis and secretion of IL-10 in response to three different pathogens associated with intrauterine infection and preterm birth are differential and depend on the nature of the microorganism and initial contact region.
