Term labor is associated with a core inflammatory response in human fetal membranes, myometrium, and cervix.
OBJECTIVE
Identify overlap of the transcriptome of myometrium and cervix in association with human labor.


METHODS
The transcriptional profile of myometrial and cervical biopsies obtained from women in spontaneous labor at term (n = 9) and not in labor (n = 9) were characterized by Affymetrix v2 U133 plus 2 arrays. Common canonical pathways and functional groups were identified by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis.


RESULTS
One hundred ten genes (false discovery rate < 1%) were commonly up-regulated by myometrium and cervix in association with labor and 29 genes (false discovery rate < 1%) down-regulated. Fold change in expression of up-regulated genes was strongly correlated; myometrium vs cervix (r = 0.51; P < .001), with no relationship in down-regulated genes (r = 0.26; P = .16). Canonical pathway analysis established up-regulation of inflammatory pathway signaling, with greatest increases in cellular movement and immune response gene ontology groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Gestational tissues exhibit a core inflammatory response in association with human parturition, with pathways regulating cellular trafficking dominating.
Bollapragada
Shrikant
S
Division of Reproductive and Maternal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
Bollopragada
Shrikant
S
Youssef
Refaat
R
Jordan
Fiona
F
Greer
Ian
I
Norman
Jane
J
Nelson
Scott
S
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000502:physiology*; D005321:Extraembryonic Membranes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology*; D009215:Myometrium / Q000502:physiology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D055815:Young Adult
D012313:RNA