title: Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphism, vaginal interleukin-1 receptor antagonist concentrations, and vaginal ureaplasma urealyticum colonization in pregnant women.
abstract: Ureaplasma urealyticum is the microorganism most frequently isolated from amniotic fluids of women in preterm labor. The relationship between vaginal colonization with U. urealyticum, vaginal interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) levels, and the IL-1ra genotype in pregnant women was examined. Vaginal specimens, obtained with a cotton swab from 207 women in their first trimester of pregnancy, were tested for IL-1ra concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and for U. urealyticum and IL-1ra genotypes by PCR. U. urealyticum was detected in 85 (41.1%) women. The median IL-1ra level was 450 ng/ml in women positive for U. urealyticum, as opposed to 225 ng/ml in women negative for this microorganism (P < 0.0001). Sixty-two percent of the 16 women who were homozygous for allele 2 of the IL-1ra gene (IL-1RN*2) were colonized with U. urealyticum, as opposed to 47% of the 49 women who were IL-1RN*1/IL-1RN*2 heterozygotes and 34% of the 133 women who were IL-1RN*1 homozygotes (P < 0.05). Median IL-1ra levels were 750 ng/ml in IL-1RN*2 homozygotes, 300 ng/ml in IL-1RN*1/IL-1RN*2 heterozygotes, and 250 ng/ml in IL-1RN*1 homozygotes (P = 0.02). The vast majority of subjects had an uneventful pregnancy and delivered a healthy infant at term. The IL-1ra genotype or U. urealyticum colonization was unrelated to birth weight. Pregnant women who are colonized with U. urealyticum during the first trimester have elevated vaginal IL-1ra concentrations and a higher prevalence of the IL-1RN*2 homozygote genotype than do noncolonized women.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Parrin T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Skupski
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Witkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins