title: Influence of maternal age, gestational age and fetal gender on expression of immune mediators in amniotic fluid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Variations in cytokine and immune mediator expression patterns in amniotic fluid due to gestational age, maternal age and fetal gender were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amniotic fluid samples were obtained from 192 women, 82 with a mid-trimester amniocentesis (median gestational age 17 weeks) and 110 with a caesarean section not in labor (median gestational age 39 weeks). Amniotic fluid was screened by commercial ELISAs for the TH1/TH2/TH17 cytokines and immune mediators IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, TNF alpha, GRO-alpha, MIP1alpha, MIP1beta, Histone, and IP10. Analysis was by Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. None of the 15 examined cytokines revealed any differences in expression patterns regarding fetal gender. Significant differences were found in IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, TNF- alpha, GRO-alpha and MIP1-beta with respect to gestational age and in GRO-alpha regarding maternal age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytokines utilized as biomarkers in the diagnosis of intrauterine infections are not influenced in their expression pattern by fetal gender but may vary with respect to maternal age and gestational age.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. tobias.weissenbacher@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Weissenbacher
authors: Rüdiger P
authors: RP
authors: Laubender
authors: Steven S
authors: SS
authors: Witkin
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Gingelmaier
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Schiessl
authors: Franziskus
authors: F
authors: Kainer
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Friese
authors: Udo
authors: U
authors: Jeschke
authors: Darius
authors: D
authors: Dian
authors: Katrin
authors: K
authors: Karl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D015870:Gene Expression; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines