Abnormal first trimester serum interleukin 18 levels are associated with a poor outcome in women with a history of recurrent miscarriage.
OBJECTIVE
How the maternal immune system adapts to tolerate the fetus is not fully understood, but a successful pregnancy is associated with the production of Th2-type cytokines and miscarriage is associated with the production of Th1-type cytokines.


METHODS
Levels of interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-12 and IL-18 were measured in serum from 205 pregnant women of whom 115 pregnant women had a history of recurrent miscarriage.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy pregnant women those who miscarried had increased serum levels of the Th1-associated cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-12 and IL-18.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased levels of IL-18 appeared to be critical in early pregnancy and were able to discriminate between pregnancies that continued and those that end in miscarriage.
Wilson
Rhoda
R
Department of Medicine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK. gcl025@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Moor
Judith
J
Jenkins
Carol
C
Miller
Helen
H
Walker
James J
JJ
McLean
Marjorie A
MA
Norman
J
J
McInnes
I B
IB
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000097:blood*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D020382:Interleukin-18