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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Cytokines in the perinatal period - Part I
A Chau1, J C Markley2, J Juang3
1Division of Obstetric Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Abstract:
Successful pregnancy requires a state of immune homeostasis. Maternal tolerance of the genetically distinct fetoplacental unit is in part mediated by maternal and fetal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines; these cytokines have also been implicated in different pregnancy-related pathologic states. This two-part series seeks to provide anesthesiologists with an overview on selected perinatal cytokines in an effort to identify opportunities for research and improvements in clinical care. In part one, we review basic and pregnancy-related elements of the immune system, with an emphasis on the role of cytokines. From this foundation, we offer a perspective of a unique phenomenon witnessed within obstetric anesthesia - maternal temperature elevation associated with labor epidural analgesia.
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