title: Myometrial cytokines and their role in the onset of labour.
abstract: Human labour is an inflammatory event, physiologically driven by an interaction between hormonal and mechanical factors and pathologically associated with infection, bleeding and excessive uterine stretch. The initiation and communicators of inflammation is still not completely understood; however, a key role for cytokines has been implicated. We summarise the current understanding of the nature and role of cytokines, chemokines and hormones and their involvement in signalling within the myometrium particularly during labour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and CancerImperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Sivarajasingam
authors.affiliation: Department of MedicineImperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imami
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and CancerImperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK mark.johnson@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007745:Labor Onset / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D009215:Myometrium / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D016207:Cytokines; C500216:GJA1 protein, human; D011374:Progesterone
keywords: cytokines; inflammatory diseases; labour; reproduction