Immune influence of pregnancy on human H7N9 infection: a case report.
BACKGROUND
H7N9 infection has raised serious concerns worldwide. Pregnant women were considered to be at a high risk of influenza infection. Normal pregnancy was dependent on T helper (Th) 2 deviation. However, whether pregnancy influences the immune status of influenza H7N9 patients has not been reported.


METHODS
Here, we reported a case of pregnant woman in the first trimester with H7N9 infection compared with the two non-pregnant female H7N9 patients for clinical features and relevant immunological changes. We found that there were no differences in plasma levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines between the pregnant and non-pregnant patients, and there was no Th2 deviation in the acute phase. However, the Th2 deviation was recurrent along with the clearance of infection in the H7N9 pregnant patient.


CONCLUSIONS
These cases highlighted that the pregnant patient infected with H7N9 could induce an effective Th1 immune response equal to that of non-pregnant patients with H7N9 virus infection, although the pregnancy itself could lead to a Th2 deviation. These data suggested that pregnant patients could acquire a similar antiviral response for H7N9 infection versus non-pregnant patients.
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
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G
Cui
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: diao.hy@163.com.
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H
Diao
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
Y
Y
Wei
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
J
J
Chen
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
H
H
Gao
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
J
J
Zuo
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
Y
Y
Yang
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
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L
Tang
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
H
H
Cao
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
Y
Y
Chen
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: ljli@zju.edu.cn.
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L
Li
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064766:Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*
Cytokines; H7N9; Immunologic characteristics; Influenza; Pregnancy