title: Tumor necrosis factor and pregnancy--a contribution to the immunology of reproduction.
abstract: Serum levels of the cytokine TNF (tumor necrosis factor) were determined in pregnant women during the first trimester and compared with levels in a control group of non-pregnant healthy women. A new immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) was used. In pregnant women we found a very low mean value of 2.5 pg/ml. The value was significantly higher 16.2 pg/ml in the non-pregnant group. This finding suggests suppression of macrophage activity which could favour the fetal allograft.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Erlangen, FRG.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steib
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay / Q000379:methods; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha