Peripheral blood cytokine profiling during pregnancy and post-partum periods.
OBJECTIVE
Pregnancy requires that the maternal immune system adapt to prevent rejection of the fetal semi-allograft. This immunologic adaptation may contribute to pregnancy-related alterations in disease susceptibility and severity of infections from viral pathogens such as influenza virus.


METHODS
As part of a larger study investigating the maternal systemic immune response during pregnancy, peripheral blood was collected three times during pregnancy and twice post-partum to measure serum levels of 23 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. This longitudinal study design allowed each woman's post-partum blood draw to serve as her own comparison, thus controlling for interpersonal variability in expression levels.


RESULTS
When compared to the post-partum samples, significant pregnancy-related changes in IFNγ, TNFα, VEGF, GCSF, Eotaxin, and MCP-1 expression were observed. These changes have significant immunologic effects in vivo and in culture.


CONCLUSIONS
Pregnancy-associated changes to steady state serum cytokines may have important immunologic consequence.
Kraus
Thomas A
TA
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Sperling
Rhoda S
RS
Engel
Stephanie M
SM
Lo
Yungtai
Y
Kellerman
Lisa
L
Singh
Tricia
T
Loubeau
Martine
M
Ge
Yongchao
Y
Garrido
Jose L
JL
Rodríguez-García
Marta
M
Moran
Thomas M
TM
D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D058408:Th1-Th2 Balance
D016207:Cytokines