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A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Postnatal changes of cytokines in premature infants with or without funisitis
Shigeru Nishimaki1, Yoshio Shima, Miho Sato
1Department of Pediatrics, Yokohama City University Hospital , Yokohama , Japan and.
Insights
Funisitis, an inflammation of the umbilical cord, is linked to higher cytokine levels in premature infants. Early diagnosis of funisitis is crucial for managing fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) risk.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Perinatal Medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) significantly impacts premature infant outcomes.
- Hypercytokinemia is a key feature of FIRS, necessitating focus on fetal inflammatory environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between chorioamnionitis (CAM), funisitis, and cytokine levels in premature infants.
- To assess the role of funisitis in hypercytokinemia and its implications for FIRS risk.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 37 premature infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks) was categorized into three groups based on CAM and funisitis presence.
- Umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood samples were analyzed for Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 levels at multiple time points post-birth (days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28).
Main Results:
- Cord blood cytokine concentrations (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) were significantly elevated in infants with both CAM and funisitis (C(+)F(+)) compared to those with CAM alone (C(+)F(-)) or neither (C(-)F(-)).
- Cytokine levels in the C(+)F(+) group decreased notably by day 3 and onwards after birth.
Conclusions:
- Hypercytokinemia in premature infants' cord blood is strongly associated with funisitis.
- Diagnosing funisitis is critical for identifying infants at risk of FIRS and requiring targeted management.
- Analysis of cord blood cytokine concentrations is essential for evaluating fetal inflammatory environments in neonates.
Objective:
Fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS), which induces hypercytokinemia, is important for the outcomes of premature infants. It is necessary to focus on the fetal inflammatory environments.
Methods:
A total of 37 premature infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks) were divided into three groups: (1) 15 without chorioamnionitis (CAM) and funisitis; C(-)F(-) group, (2) 15 with CAM but without funisitis; C(+)F(-) group and (3) 7 with CAM and funisitis; C(+)F(+) group. Blood interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured on day 0 (= in umbilical cord blood), 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28.
Results:
(1) day 0: Cord blood concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly higher in the C(+)F(+) group than in the C(+)F(-) group and C(-)F(-) group. On the other hand, they were comparable between the C(+)F(-) group and C(-)F(-) group. (2) Days 3-28: elevated cytokines levels in the C(+)F(+) group with funisitis decreased on day 3 and later.
Conclusions:
We suggested that hypercytokinemia in the cord blood in premature infants were greatly related with funisitis. Diagnosis of funisitis would be important to find the premature infants who need to be managed their risk of FIRS. In addition, hypercytokinemia disappeared in a few days after birth; therefore, cord blood data analysis of cytokines and/or inflammation-related proteins concentrations is necessary to evaluate the fetal inflammatory environments in premature infants after birth.
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