👤 Behrouz Gharesi-Fard

Pregnancy is a unique challenge for the immune system. Any disturbance in the immune system in the first trimester could result in further pregnancy complications. In this regard, the current study aimed to investigate the association between serum levels of a group of cytokines in the first trimester of pregnancy with the onset of preeclampsia (PE) and fetal growth restriction (FGR). Serum samples were collected from 550 pregnant women at their 11th - 13th weeks of pregnancy and followed up to delivery. Out of all cases, 15 women complicated with preeclampsia and 15 ones diagnosed with FGR were included in the study. The serum levels of IFN-γ, CCL2, IL-10, IL-35 and IL-27 were checked in the collected sera of mentioned patients and compared to 60 women with normal pregnancy outcomes. In the preeclampsia group, the mean level of IFN-γ was significantly higher (p < 0.001) while the CCL2 serum level was significantly lower (p < 0.003) as compared to control group. There was no significant difference between the preeclampsia group and controls regarding other cytokines. In the FGR group, the mean serum level of IFN-γ was significantly higher compared to the healthy pregnancy group (p < 0.001) but other cytokines showed no significant differences. In the FGR group, a significant positive correlation was found between IL-10 level and neonates' weight (p < 0.05). Based on the results of the present study, an elevated level of IFN-γ and a reduced level of CCL2 at the first trimester of pregnancy could lead to complications such as PE and/or FGR. Show less

Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue, immune cell dysfunction and abnormal cytokine secretion. In addition to immunological factors, genetic variations that influence endometriosis severity and cytokine expression levels play important roles in the pathogenesis of this disease. Interleukin-12 (IL-12), specifically its p40 subunit encoded by IL-12B gene and the interleukin-12 receptor β1 (IL-12Rβ2) chain of its receptor, as well as interleukin-27 (IL-27) are important in the establishment of endometriosis. So, in this study, we measured IL-12 and IL-27 serum levels and investigated the possible links between IL-12B rs3212227, IL-12Rβ2 rs3790565 and IL-27 rs153109 polymorphisms and the risk of developing endometriosis in a group of Iranian women. In this case-control study, 162 endometriosis patients and 151 healthy women were included and tested for the aforementioned polymorphisms using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was also used to measure IL-12 and IL-27 serum levels. Although there was no statistically significant association between the genotypes and alleles of the studied polymorphisms and the development of endometriosis in general, the AA genotype of IL-12B rs3212227 showed a significant association with uterine endometriosis when compared to AC+CC genotypes (p = .04, CI = 0.270-0.988, OR = 0.517). Indeed, the AA genotype of the IL-12B rs3212227 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may be linked with a lower risk of developing uterine endometriosis. There was no significant difference in IL-27 levels between the two studied groups (p = .49), and IL-12 levels were undetectable in both groups. In conclusion, the AA genotype of IL-12B rs3212227 might be associated with a decreased risk of uterine involvement in endometriosis patients. Show less

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most serious disorders of human pregnancy with a high rate of mortality for the fetus and mother. Several etiological factors are involved in the onset of this disease. Upregulation of IL-27 has been reported in placental tissue recovered from preeclamptic women, but the role of IL-27 has not yet been investigated in PE. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of IL-27 rs153109 and rs17855750 gene polymorphisms with PE; also, protein levels and susceptibility and severity of PE in Iranian women were evaluated. This case-control study was performed on 199 PE patients and 228 healthy women as the control group. IL-27 rs153109 and rs17855750 SNPs were genotyped using a PCR-RFLP method. Moreover, the levels of IL-27 were determined in 40 PE and 45 healthy women using ELISA method. Statistical analysis indicated that there were no differences in genotype, allele and genotype combination frequencies in the SNPs between cases and controls. The plasma level of IL-27 was elevated in the mild form of the disease compared with controls (p-value: 0.006). The effect of IL-27 in preeclampsia is not due to the studied cytokine polymorphisms, but the level of IL-27 might be associated with the severity of preeclampsia in Iranian women. Show less