Pregnancy, but not the allergic status, influences spontaneous and induced interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 responses.
In this study, we investigated how pregnancy influences cytokine production in response to stimulation of the innate and the adaptive immune system, respectively. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from allergic (n = 44) and non-allergic (n = 36) women were collected at three time-points: during the third trimester, at delivery and at a non-pregnant state 2 years after delivery. The production of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT). The spontaneous cytokine production, and the response following stimulation with agents that primarily activate the adaptive part of the immune system [phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), allergen extracts from cat and birch], or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that activate innate immunity was measured in vitro. There was a significantly higher spontaneous in vitro production of IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-10 by PBMCs during pregnancy than 2 years after pregnancy, and this was not affected by the allergic status of the women. Conversely, in PHA-stimulated cell cultures there was a lower production of IL-10 and IL-12 during pregnancy than 2 years after pregnancy. LPS-induced IL-6 levels were significantly lower in PBMCs obtained during pregnancy than at 2 years after pregnancy. In addition, we made the interesting observation that in allergic women total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were significantly lower 2 years after pregnancy compared to the levels during pregnancy. Taken together, our results indicate that while atopic allergy in women does not have a substantial effect on cytokine production, pregnancy has an obvious effect on the immune system in terms of cytokine production as well as on the total IgE levels.
Amoudruz
Petra
P
Department of Immunology, Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. petra.amoudruz@imun.su.se
Minang
Jacob Taku
JT
Sundström
Yvonne
Y
Nilsson
Caroline
C
Lilja
Gunnar
G
Troye-Blomberg
Marita
M
Sverremark-Ekström
Eva
E
D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000494:pharmacology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology*; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
D000485:Allergens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate