Growth Modeling of the Maternal Cytokine Milieu throughout Normal Pregnancy: Macrophage-Derived Chemokine Decreases as InflammationCounterregulation Increases

Abstract EN

Several recent studies have shown differences in the maternal immune milieu at different phases of pregnancy, but most studies have been cross-sectional or of relatively few time points.

Levels of 42 cytokines were determined using a multiplex bead-based assay on archived serum from a cohort of pregnant women N=16 at median of 18 time points tested, from the first trimester through to parturition, per woman.

Unconditional growth modeling was then used to determine time-dependent changes in levels of these cytokines.

Macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC, aka CCL22) decreases as pregnancy progresses.

IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IP-10, and FLT3-ligand increase as a function of gestational weeks, and IFNα2, IL-1ra, IL-3, IL-9, IL-12p40, and soluble CD40 ligand increase as a function of trimester.

As pregnancy normally progresses, a maternal shift away from a type 2-biased immune response and toward an inflammatory/counterregulatory response is observed.