title: Method of birth alters interferon-gamma and interleukin-12 production by cord blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: Many uncertainties exist regarding the capability of cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) to produce cytokines. A number of conflicting reports led us to examine the effects of method of birth on CBMC production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-12 (IL-12). While constitutive production of IL-4 was found in both vaginally and cesarean-delivered infants, constitutive IFN-gamma or IL-12 production was found in neither. CBMC from vaginally delivered infants responded to stimulation with concanavalin A/phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (Con A/PMA), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma than CBMC from unlabored cesarean section (CS) infants. Production of IL-12 was increased in the vaginally delivered group in response to LPS and PHA but not to ConA/PMA. In contrast, mode of delivery was not associated with differences in IL-4 production. These results indicate that mode of delivery significantly alters the capability of CBMC to produce some cytokines and therefore should be taken into account in interpreting fetal/neonatal mononuclear cell function studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA. mabrown@resp-sci.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Parmis Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Rad
authors.forename: Marilyn J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Halonen
mesh_terms: D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma