Circulating cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia determined by multiplex suspension array
- PMID: 21126355
- PMCID: PMC3014878
- DOI: 10.1186/1471-2172-11-59
Circulating cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia determined by multiplex suspension array
Abstract
Background: Preeclampsia is a severe complication of pregnancy characterized by an excessive maternal systemic inflammatory response with activation of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules are central to innate and adaptive immune processes. The purpose of this study was to determine circulating levels of cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia in a comprehensive manner, and to investigate their relationship to the clinical features and laboratory parameters of the study participants, including markers of overall inflammation (C-reactive protein), endothelial activation (von Willebrand factor antigen) and endothelial injury (fibronectin), oxidative stress (malondialdehyde) and trophoblast debris (cell-free fetal DNA).
Results: Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-18, interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, interferon-gamma-inducible protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 were measured in 60 preeclamptic patients, 60 healthy pregnant women and 59 healthy non-pregnant women by multiplex suspension array and ELISA. In normal pregnancy, the relative abundance of circulating IL-18 over IL-12p70 and the relative deficiency of the bioactive IL-12p70 in relation to IL-12p40 might favour Th2-type immunity. Although decreased IL-1ra, TNF-alpha and MCP-1 concentrations of healthy pregnant relative to non-pregnant women reflect anti-inflammatory changes in circulating cytokine profile, their decreased serum IL-10 and increased IP-10 levels might drive pro-inflammatory responses. In addition to a shift towards Th1-type immunity (expressed by the increased IL-2/IL-4 and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratios), circulating levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha, the chemokines IL-8, IP-10 and MCP-1, as well as the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, were raised in preeclampsia compared with healthy pregnancy, resulting in an overall pro-inflammatory systemic environment. Increased IP-10, MCP-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 concentrations of preeclamptic patients showed significant correlations with blood pressure values, renal and liver function parameters, as well as with CRP, malondialdehyde, von Willebrand factor antigen and fibronectin levels.
Conclusions: According to our findings, preeclampsia was associated with an overall pro-inflammatory systemic environment. Elevated amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules in the maternal circulation might play a central role in the excessive systemic inflammatory response, as well as in the generalized endothelial dysfunction characteristics of the maternal syndrome of preeclampsia.
Figures




Similar articles
-
Vitamin D and Inflammatory Cytokines in Healthy and Preeclamptic Pregnancies.Nutrients. 2015 Aug 4;7(8):6465-90. doi: 10.3390/nu7085293. Nutrients. 2015. PMID: 26247971 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Serum leptin levels in relation to circulating cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules and angiogenic factors in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2011 Sep 9;9:124. doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-9-124. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2011. PMID: 21906313 Free PMC article.
-
Serum heat shock protein 70 levels in relation to circulating cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules and angiogenic factors in women with preeclampsia.Clin Chim Acta. 2011 Oct 9;412(21-22):1957-62. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2011.06.042. Epub 2011 Jul 6. Clin Chim Acta. 2011. PMID: 21756887
-
PP028. Serum cytokine profile in relation to the clinical features and laboratory parameters in women with preeclampsia.Pregnancy Hypertens. 2013 Apr;3(2):77. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2013.04.055. Epub 2013 Jun 6. Pregnancy Hypertens. 2013. PMID: 26105884
-
Maternal Serum Cytokine Concentrations in Healthy Pregnancy and Preeclampsia.J Pregnancy. 2021 Feb 23;2021:6649608. doi: 10.1155/2021/6649608. eCollection 2021. J Pregnancy. 2021. PMID: 33680514 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Immune checkpoint molecules B7-1 and B7-H1 as predictive markers of pre-eclampsia: A case-control study in a Ghana.Immun Inflamm Dis. 2024 Jan;12(1):e1142. doi: 10.1002/iid3.1142. Immun Inflamm Dis. 2024. PMID: 38270323 Free PMC article.
-
Vitamin D and Inflammatory Cytokines in Healthy and Preeclamptic Pregnancies.Nutrients. 2015 Aug 4;7(8):6465-90. doi: 10.3390/nu7085293. Nutrients. 2015. PMID: 26247971 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Sex-specific impact of maternal-fetal risk factors on depression and cardiovascular risk 40 years later.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2011 Dec;2(6):353-64. doi: 10.1017/S2040174411000651. J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2011. PMID: 23378891 Free PMC article.
-
Relationship between maternal serum C-reactive protein, funisitis and early-onset neonatal sepsis.J Korean Med Sci. 2012 Jun;27(6):674-80. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.6.674. Epub 2012 May 26. J Korean Med Sci. 2012. PMID: 22690100 Free PMC article.
-
Cytokine response over the course of COVID-19 infection in pregnant women.Cytokine. 2022 Jun;154:155894. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2022.155894. Epub 2022 Apr 25. Cytokine. 2022. PMID: 35490452 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Ohkuchi A, Iwasaki R, Suzuki H, Hirashima C, Takahashi K, Usui R, Matsubara S, Minakami H, Suzuki M. Normal and high-normal blood pressures, but not body mass index, are risk factors for the subsequent occurrence of both preeclampsia and gestational hypertension: a retrospective cohort study. Hypertens Res. 2006;29:161–167. doi: 10.1291/hypres.29.161. - DOI - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Research Materials
Miscellaneous