Authors
Buxton MA; Meraz-Cruz N; Sanchez BN; Foxman B; Castillo-Castrejon M; O'Neill MS; Vadillo-Ortega F
Source
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 Apr; 18(7):3436
Abstract
Preterm birth (PTB), defined as birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation, is a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Inflammation is an important component in the physiopathologic pathway leading to PTB but results from cross-sectional studies on associations between inflammation, as measured by cytokines, and PTB are inconsistent. Timing of cytokine measurement during pregnancy varies between studies and may contribute to inconsistent findings. We investigated the effects of timing on associations between 16 cervico-vaginal cytokines (Eotaxin, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-17, IL-1RA, sIL-2ralpha, IL-1a, IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, TNFalpha, and VEGF) and PTB among 90 women throughout pregnancy. We used logistic regression to compare associations between concentrations of cervico-vaginal cytokines from periods in pregnancy and PTB. Trimester 1 cytokines had the strongest positive associations with PTB; for example, OR = 1.76 (95% confidence interval: 1.28, 2.42) for IL-6. Second and third trimester associations were weaker but largely positive. IL-1alpha was the only cytokine with a negative association (trimesters 2, 3 and overall pregnancy). Strong first trimester associations between cytokines and PTB suggest that measuring cytokines early in pregnancy may hold promise for early identification of PTB risk. Variations in cytokine measurement during pregnancy may contribute to inconsistencies among studies.
Keywords
Women; Pregnancy; Cross sectional studies; Cytokines; Sampling; Immune reaction; Physiopathology; Proteins; Regression analysis; Risk factors;
Author Keywords: longitudinal data; inflammation; preterm birth; comparative analysis; timing of sample; collection during pregnancy
Contact
Miatta A. Buxton, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Document Type
Journal Article
Email Address
mabuxton@umich.edu
Identifying No.
Grant-Number-T42-OH-008455
Source Name
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Performing Organization
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
