title: Tumour necrosis factor alpha during human pregnancy and labour: maternal plasma and amniotic fluid concentrations and release from intrauterine tissues.
abstract: The aims of this study were: to quantify immunoreactive tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) concentrations in maternal plasma and amniotic fluid obtained from women during pregnancy and labour, both at term and preterm; and to establish the effects of bacterial endotoxin and cytokines on the in vitro release of TNF-alpha from intrauterine tissues. Maternal plasma TNF-alpha concentrations did not change during pregnancy (457.2 +/- 102.9 ng/l, mean +/- SEM, N = 52) or at the time of labour (543.5 +/- 138.6 ng/l, N = 43). In contrast, amniotic fluid TNF-alpha concentrations increased significantly (p < 0.05) during pregnancy (early pregnancy, EP, 93.0 +/- 24.8 ng/l, N = 7; preterm not-in-labour, PNIL, 186.8 +/- 42.9 ng/l, N = 16; term not-in-labour. TNIL, 499.7 +/- 150.9 ng/l, N = 13) and in association with preterm labour (preterm in-labour, PIL, 958.7 +/- 575.6 ng/l, N = 5 vs PNIL, 186.8 +/- 42.9 ng/l, N = 16). Choriodecidual and placental explants (N = 3) maintained in in vitro culture released TNF-alpha. Furthermore, the release of TNF-alpha was increased significantly (p < 0.05) by bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, 10 ng/l-10 mg/l) but was not affected by the following cytokines at the indicated doses: interleukin-1 alpha (0.28 nmol/l), interleukin-6 (12.5 nmol/l), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (2.5 nmol/l), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (35 nmol/l), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (1.2 nmol/l), leukaemia inhibitory factor (0.45 nmol/l) and transforming growth factor-beta (0.4 nmol/l).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Laham
authors: S P
authors: SP
authors: Brennecke
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Bendtzen
authors: G E
authors: GE
authors: Rice
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000378:metabolism; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D002823:Chorion / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha