CYTOKINE PRODUCTION AND CYTOKINE RECEPTOR EXPRESSION BY CELLS OF THE HUMAN FIRST TRIMESTER PLACENTAL-UTERINE INTERFACE

There is currently a great deal of interest in the role that cytokines may play in placental development, A variety of cytokines have been d emonstrated at the placental-uterine interface, but the exact cellular sources of production have not yet been identified due to the complex tissue topography of the implantation site, In the present study, we have used the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to investigate cytokine production in vitro by cells isolated with a high degree of purity from the placenta and decidua, The cytokines assayed were EGF, interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-2, IL-3, interferon alpha (IFN-alph a), IFN-gamma, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and transformi ng growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta 1). A necessary starting point in the elucidation of cytokine function is to define those cell populations which express relevant cytokine receptors as this would identify the p otential cell targets, For this reason, cytokine receptor expression b y placental and uterine cells using immunohistology and flow cytometry has been investigated, those being: IGF-1r, PDGF-r alpha/beta, IL-1rI I, IL-6r, IL-7r, IFN-gamma r, TNF-rp80 and endoglin, Taken in conjunct ion with previously published data on other cytokine receptors, a comp rehensive picture can begin to be constructed of the putative cytokine -responding cells present in the human placental-uterine interface. (C ) 1997 Academic Press Limited.