Cytokine Levels in Mother-infant Pairs at Term and Preterm Delivery

Background: Cell-mediated immunity (CMI), in addition to the humoral immune response, is crucial in clearing infections. Cytokines are important mediators of the immune system and play a role during pregnancy and childbirth. This study assesses circulating cytokine levels in peripartum maternal and cord blood samples at term and preterm delivery. Materials and methods: Samples from 37 mother-infant pairs from a previously conducted maternal immunization study were used to quantify levels of 6 cytokines [interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17A, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha] using the Meso Scale Discovery (R) ultra-sensitive S-plex assay. The effect of various factors on measured cytokine levels was determined. Results: Weak to moderate correlations between maternal and cord blood cytokine levels were found. A trend for lower cytokine levels for preterm compared with term delivery was observed. The trend for lower cytokine levels was also seen for cesarean section compared with vaginal delivery and multiparous compared with primiparous women, but only in maternal serum samples. After correction for other variables, the effects of gestational age at delivery and parity were only significant for, respectively, IFN-gamma and IL-6 in maternal serum. Conclusions: The assessment of circulating cytokine levels in mother-infant pairs at term and preterm deliveries provides a unique insight into the presence of cytokines in maternal and cord blood and their interplay at delivery. It also highlights the complexity of the maternal-fetal immune relationship and underscores the need for further investigation into the origin of cytokines in newborns and the impact of vaccination in pregnancy on CMI at delivery.