Patterns of inflammatory cytokine serum concentrations during the perinatal period

Inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured in the serum of healthy, term neonates on the first (N1), fifth (N5) and 40th (N40) day aft er birth, compared with those in maternal serum (MS), umbilical cord (UC) a nd in adult controls. All three cytokines were significantly elevated in N1 and N5, compared with those in UC and adults (P < 0.0001). IL-1 beta and I L-6 declined significantly from N1 to N40 (P < 0.0001), while TNF-alpha inc reased significantly from N1 to N5 and declined thereafter. TNF-alpha value s in UC were significantly higher than in adults, but lower than in N40 (P < 0.0001), while IL-1 beta and IL-6 values in UC did not differ from those in N40 and in adults. IL-1 beta and IL-6, but not TNF-alpha values in MS we re significantly higher than those in controls (P < 0.0001). IL-1 beta valu es in MS were significantly higher than those in N1 (P < 0.0001), while tho se of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were significantly lower (P < 0.0001). Moreover, I L-1 beta values were dependent on the mode of delivery in N1 (P < 0.001), i n MS (P < 0.02) and in UC (0.03), while IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha values in N 1 were strongly interrelated (r = 0.7; P < 0.01). In conclusion, the increa sed values of IL-1 beta, 1L-6 and TNF-alpha during the perinatal period mig ht reflect a newborn immune response to the stress of delivery and to envir onmental changes after birth. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.