Patterns of peripheral cytokine expression during pregnancy in two cohorts and associations with inflammatory markers in cord blood.
Maternal inflammation undergoes adaptations during pregnancy, and excessive inflammation has been associated with adverse outcomes. One mechanism may be maternal inflammation transmission to the fetal compartment. Links between maternal pregnancy inflammation and fetal inflammation are poorly characterized.



Principal components analysis was used to extract underlying inflammation components across cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-13, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α) in two pregnancy cohorts (SPAH N=87, MOMS N=539) assessed during the second and third trimesters. Links between maternal inflammation over pregnancy and fetal (cord blood) inflammation were assessed.



Substantial cytokine rank-order stability was observed in both cohorts, β's range .47-.96, P's <.001. Two consistent inflammatory components were extracted: a pro-inflammatory (IL-10, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IFN-γ) component and anti-inflammatory (IL-13) component. Higher maternal pro-inflammatory and lower anti-inflammatory indices during pregnancy were associated with higher cord blood inflammation, P's>.04.



Maternal inflammation indices over pregnancy were associated with inflammation in cord blood at birth. Results have implications for understanding pregnancy inflammatory processes and how maternal inflammation may be transmitted to fetal circulation.
Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. kross@psych.ucla.edu.
Kharah MacKenzie
KM
Ross
Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.|Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Gregory
G
Miller
Division of Adolescent Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Jennifer
J
Culhane
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.|Center for Healthcare Studies, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
William
W
Grobman
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.|Division of Obstetrical Services, Magee Women's Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Hyagriv N
HN
Simhan
UCI Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Pathik D
PD
Wadhwa
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Douglas
D
Williamson
Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.|Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Thomas
T
McDade
UCI Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.|Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Claudia
C
Buss
UCI Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.|Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Sonja
S
Entringer
Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.|School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Emma
E
Adam
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Sameen
S
Qadir
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA.
Lauren
L
Keenan-Devlin
Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Adam K K
AK
Leigh
Center for Healthcare Studies, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.|Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.|Department of Obsetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, NorthShore University Health System, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Evanston, IL, USA.
Ann
A
Borders
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D021041:Placental Circulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators
cord blood; inflammation; pregnancy