Cytokine profile in pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria

Abstract

Purpose - to determine the informativeness of the cytokine profile in biological environments (blood and urine) of pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB).

Materials and methods. 96 pregnant women were examined, in whom AB was detected during bacteriological examination of urine. The Group I (main) - 59 pregnant women with detected AB at a concentration of bacteria ≥10⁵ CFU/ml («expressed» bacteriuria), the Group II (comparison) - 37 pregnant women with AB at a concentration of ≤10⁴ CFU/ml («moderate» bacteriuria), the control group - 32 pregnant women with an unchanged state of the urinary tract, vaginal environment, without obstetric and extragenital pathology. A study of the levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interferon γ (IFNγ), mainly produced by type 1 T-helpers, as well as interleukin 4 (IL-4), produced by type 2 T-helpers, was carried out in peripheral blood and urine. Statistical processing of research results was carried out using standard Microsoft Excel 5.0 and Statistica 6.0 programs.

Results. The average values of TNFα in blood serum in pregnant women with AB of the Groups I and II did not have significant differences and amounted to 42.1±7.59 pg/ml and 45.19±11.6 pg/ml, respectively (p>0.05), however, this indicator in female patients, control group was probably lower than in pregnant women with bacteriuria and amounted to 0.61±0.05 pg/ml (р<0.01). The concentration of IFNγ in the blood serum of pregnant women of the control group was 52.9±12.4 pg/ml, but in the blood serum of pregnant women from the Group II, a significant decrease in the concentration of IFNγ was established - 6.33±0.03 pg/ml, and in the pregnant women of the Group I IFNγ in the serum was determined in a higher concentration compared to the Group II - 35.17±4.5 pg/ml (р<0.05), but was significantly lower compared to the control group (52.9±12.4 pg/ml) (p<0.05). The maximum values of IL-4 in the serum did not exceed 350 pg/ml, the results obtained on average were 213.7±56.1 pg/ml in the Group I and 139.6±25.2 pg/ml in the Group II, respectively, which is likely distinguished them from control group and was 98.7±14.9 pg/ml (p<0.05).

Conclusions. The obtained results convincingly indicate the rather high informativeness of changes in the content of cytokines - TNFα, IL-4 and IFNγ in bioenvironments for determining the course of the inflammatory process of the urinary tract in pregnant women, improving the prevention system and improving the health of future mothers and their babies.

The research was conducted according to principles of Helsinki Declaration. Protocol of research was proved by local ethical committee, mentioned in institution’s work. A informed consent was collected in order to carry out the research.

No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.