Tumour necrosis factor a during human pregnancy and labour: maternal plasma and amniotic fluid concentrations and release from intrauterine tissues

Abstract

Laham N, Brennecke SP, Bendtzen K, Rice GE. Tumour necrosis factor α during human pregnancy and labour: maternal plasma and amniotic fluid concentrations and release from intrauterine tissues. Eur J Endocrinol 1994;131:607–14. ISSN 0804–4643 The aims of this study were: to quantify immunoreactive tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) concentrations in maternal plasma and amniotic fluid obtained from women during pregnancy and labour, both at term and preterm; and to establish the effects of bacterial endotoxin and cytokines on the in vitro release of TNF-α from intrauterine tissues. Maternal plasma TNF-α concentrations did not change during pregnancy (457.2 ± 102.9 ng/l, mean ± sem, N = 52) or at the time of labour (543.5 ± 138.6 ng/l, N = 43). In contrast, amniotic fluid TNF-α concentrations increased significantly (p < 0.05) during pregnancy (early pregnancy, EP, 93.0 ± 24.8 ng/l, N = 7; preterm not-in-labour, PNIL, 186.8 ± 42.9 ng/l, N = 16; term not-in-labour, TNIL, 499.7 ± 150.9 ng/l, N = 13) and in association with preterm labour (preterm in-labour, PIL, 958.7 ± 575.6 ng/l, N = 5 vs PNIL, 186.8 ± 42.9 ng/l, N = 16). Choriodecidual and placental explants (N = 3) maintained in in vitro culture released TNF-α Furthermore, the release of TNF-α-α was increased significantly (p < 0.05) by bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, 10 ng/l–10 mg/l) but was not affected by the following cytokines at the indicated doses: interleukin-1α (0.28 nmol/l), interleukin-6 (12.5 nmol/l), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (2.5 nmol/l), granulocyte–macrophage colonystimulating factor (35 nmol/l), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (1.2 nmol/l), leukaemia inhibitory factor (0.45 nmol/l) and transforming growth factor-β (0.4 nmol/l). The data obtained in this study are consistent with a role for TNF-α in both preterm labour and normal labour at term. N Laham, Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital, 132 Grattan Street, Carlton, Victoria, Australia 3053