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Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 3, 803-808, March 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Cytokine imbalance in pregnancies with fetal chromosomal abnormalities

F. Vesce1,4, C. Scapoli2, G. Giovannini3, L. Tralli1, G. Gotti1, A. Valerio1 and A. Piffanelli3

1 1Department of Biomedical Sciences and Advanced Therapy, Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2 Department of Biology, Section of Evolutionary Biology and 3 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Nuclear Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study is to investigate the levels of some of the cytokines which may be involved in the mechanisms leading to the impairment of placental perfusion and to the onset of uterine contractions in pregnancies with fetal genetic abnormalities compared with controls. METHODS: The amniotic fluid and maternal plasma levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumour necrosis factor-ß in patients with fetal chromosomal abnormalities were measured, as well as in euploid pregnancies in the seventh week of gestation. RESULTS: An increase of interleukin-6 (P = 0.034) and a decrease of interleukin-8 (P <= 0.0001) in amniotic fluid, and a decrease of interleukin-6 in the maternal plasma (P = 0.026) was shown in pregnancies with fetal chromosomal abnormalities. A positive correlation was observed between amniotic interleukin-8 and serum interleukin-6 in the presence of fetal aneuploidy (P < 0.006). CONCLUSION: Further investigations of cytokine imbalance in pregnancies with poor outcome as a consequence of genetic disorders rather that infection is warranted.

Key words: amniotic fluid/aneuploidy/cytokines/fetal chromosomal abnormalities/prenatal diagnosis

4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Advanced Therapy, Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy. E-mail: vsf{at}dns.unife.it

Submitted on May 15, 2001; resubmitted on July 27, 2001


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