Maternal Inflammatory Response in Severe Preeclamptic and Preeclamptic Pregnancies

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to use serum levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, CD40L and HSCRP as an in vitro inflammatory stimulus in order to profile the inflammatory response of whole blood from pregnant women with preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia, and to determine whether this functional response fits with imbalance.

Methods: The preeclampsia group (n = 27) and severe preeclampsia group (n = 21) were generated by matching the diagnostic criteria of the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP). Control group (n = 21) was matched for gestational stage, maternal age, and parity. The panel of cytokines analyzed included interleukin IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha, HSCRP, CD40L for all groups.

Results: There were statistically high values of IL-6 (P < 0.003) and TNF-alpha (P < 0.003) at preeclampsia group versus control group, the significantly high values of IL-6 (P < 0.001) and IL-1beta (P < 0.005) was found at the severe preeclampsia group versus control group. There were no significant difference between the groups of preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia for IL-6, IL-8, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, CD40L and HSCRP.

Conclusion: Increasing gestational age in normal pregnancy features an increased inflammatory responsiveness, which is potentially a preparatory mechanism for maternal sensitivity to the fetal triggers of labour. This increase in response is mirrored by women with preeclampsia, highlighting the importance of stratifying patients according to the timing the onset of disease given their inherent differences in inflammatory function. It is important to know determinative factors for changing preeclampsia to severe preeclampsia. Increased level of IL-6 and TNF-alpha may play on the role of triggering factors for preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia. So it must be studied to be determining cut off value of these parameters.




doi:10.4021/jcgo44w