Peripheral Blood Cytokine Profiling During Pregnancy and Post‐partum Periods

Citation Kraus TA, Sperling RS, Engel SM, Lo Y, Kellerman L, Singh T, Loubeau M, Ge Y, Garrido JL, Rodríguez‐García M, Moran TM. Peripheral blood cytokine profiling during pregnancy and post‐partum periods. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010; 64: 411–426 Problem Pregnancy requires that the maternal immune system adapt to prevent rejection of the fetal semi‐allograft. This immunologic adaptation may contribute to pregnancy‐related alterations in disease susceptibility and severity of infections from viral pathogens such as influenza virus. Method of Study As part of a larger study investigating the maternal systemic immune response during pregnancy, peripheral blood was collected three times during pregnancy and twice post‐partum to measure serum levels of 23 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. This longitudinal study design allowed each woman’s post‐partum blood draw to serve as her own comparison, thus controlling for interpersonal variability in expression levels. Results When compared to the post‐partum samples, significant pregnancy‐related changes in IFNγ, TNFα, VEGF, GCSF, Eotaxin, and MCP‐1 expression were observed. These changes have significant immunologic effects in vivo and in culture. Conclusion Pregnancy‐associated changes to steady state serum cytokines may have important immunologic consequence.