Macrophage migration inhibition factor is elevated in pregnancy, but not to a greater extent in preeclampsia.
BACKGROUND
Maternal serum concentrations of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) have recently been reported to be elevated in cases with preeclampsia. These findings may be important in increasing our understanding of the underlying events leading to the development of preeclampsia, as this cytokine is also expressed in the placenta, where it has been shown to possess immunemodulatory activities. For this reason we attempted to independently verify this report.


METHODS
Plasma levels of MIF were assessed by ELISA in plasma samples collected from normal healthy male and female blood donors (n=20 per group), as well as healthy normal pregnant women in all three trimesters of pregnancy (n=60). In addition, MIF levels were examined from cases with mild and severe preeclampsia (n=20 per study cohort) and matched normotensive pregnancies (n=20).


RESULTS
MIF levels were found to be elevated in pregnancy (median=10.1 ng/ml) when compared to non-pregnant controls (median=1.7 ng/ml). A moderate, but not significant, elevation was found to occur from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy. No significant difference was found to occur between the two preeclampsia study groups when compared to the normotensive control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that circulatory MIF concentrations are elevated throughout pregnancy, but are not further increased in preeclampsia.
Hristoskova
Sashka
S
Laboratory for Prenatal Medicine, University Women's Hospital/Department of Research, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Holzgreve
Wolfgang
W
Zhong
Xiao Yan
XY
Hahn
Sinuhe
S
D001782:Blood Donors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors