T-helper 2-cytokine levels in women with threatened abortion.
OBJECTIVE
Considering that successful embryo development has been immunologically attributed to a T-helper 2 phenomenon and that threatened abortion is a very frequent but pathogenetically not well-defined clinical entity, our purpose was to investigate serum levels of the main T-helper 2-type cytokines during the evolution of this condition.


METHODS
Three T-helper 2-type cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-13 (IL-13)) were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum of 12 women with threatened abortion both at hospital admission and discharge time. Fourteen women with missed abortion, 14 normal pregnant women and 14 normal non-pregnant women represent study control groups.


RESULTS
Serum concentrations of the selected T-helper 2-type cytokines showed no significant differences in women with threatened abortion with those of normal pregnant and non-pregnant women, whereas showed significantly lower values in women with missed abortion.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data (a) confirm the concept that first-trimester normal pregnancy is a T-helper 2 phenomenon, (b) show that threatened abortion, when T-helper 2-biased, may tend to a positive evolution of the condition, (c) display that interleukin-10, particularly, may represent a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for predicting the normal continuance of the pregnancy in threatened abortion, (d) confirm the existence of a T-helper 2-type pattern deficiency in missed abortion, and finally (e) may open the way to new T-helper 2-biased immune therapies in case of difficult first-trimester pregnancies.
Paradisi
Roberto
R
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, University Alma Mater Studiorum of Bologna, S. Orsola Hospital, Massarenti 13, Bologna 40138, Italy. paradisi@med.unibo.it
Maldini-Casadei
Mario
M
Boni
Paola
P
Busacchi
Paolo
P
Porcu
Eleonora
E
Venturoli
Stefano
S
D000030:Abortion, Missed / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016753:Interleukin-10