Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is elevated in plasma and amniotic fluid of patients with severe preeclampsia

Our purpose was to investigate whether markers for activation of the immune system are present in patients with preeclampsia by assessing maternal plasma and amniotic fluid for tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta.

Twenty-one patients with severe preeclampsia composed the study group (group A). An antepartum comparison group was composed of healthy nulliparous patients not in labor and matched for gestational age (group B). Another control group consisted of term nulliparous patients in labor with uneventful pregnancies (group C). Maternal plasma samples were collected from all patients at recruitment and from patients in groups A and C immediately after delivery and again 20 to 24 hours post partum. Amniotic fluid was also collected from patients in groups A and C during labor. All samples were collectively assayed for tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta by specific enzyme-linked immunoassays.

Before labor tumor necrosis factor-alpha was detected more frequently in the plasma of preeclamptic patients than in the plasma of patients in group B (12/16 vs 5/16, p < 0.05) and in higher concentrations (median 35 pg/ml vs median 0 pg/ml, p < 0.05). Although tumor necrosis factor-alpha was frequently detected in the plasma of patients in group C in early labor (16/20), concentrations were higher in the four preeclamptic patients first sampled in early labor (210 pg/ml vs 65 pg/ml, p < 0.05). Similarly, amniotic fluid levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha were increased in preeclamptic patients compared with control patients. At delivery tumor necrosis factor-alpha was more likely to be identified in the plasma of preeclamptic patients and was found in higher concentrations, but by 20 to 24 hours post partum measurements in the preeclamptic and control patients were similar. There were no differences in the frequency with which interleukin-1 beta was detected or the concentration of interleukin-1 beta in any of the samples.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is increased in the plasma and amniotic fluid of patients with severe preeclampsia. These data are suggestive of a role for abnormal immune activation in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of preeclampsia.