CONSTITUTIVE AND INDUCED CYTOKINE PRODUCTION BY HUMAN PLACENTA AND AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE AT TERM

Results of our previous study on the immunity of human placenta and am niotic membranes revealed that in majority of cases these organs prese nt constitutive non-specific antiviral immunity in the organ culture ( OC) system. It is possible that interferons (IFNs), tumour necrosis fa ctors (TNFs) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) may be responsible for the antiv iral effect. Here, the constitutive and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induc ed production of these cytokines and, additionally, interleukin 10 (IL -10) were determined in OC of chorionic villi, decidua and amniotic me mbranes. Significant amounts of constitutive TNF-alpha (2-64 U/ml), IL -6 (200-12000 U/ml) and IL-10 (1-70 ng/ml) were detected in the matern al decidua and chorionic villi of placenta. Amniotic membranes produce d lower concentrations of the cytokines. LPS increased the production of cytokines from two- to eightfold. In contrast, activity of IFN rele ased spontaneously was found only in four of 50 placentae and amniotic membranes. LPS and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) induced IFN producti on in the OC system. However,the increase of IFN after induction was a lso very small (up to 32 U/ml). Individual differentiation in the cyto kines production was observed among placentas and amniotic membranes. TNF was identified as type alpha with addition TNF-beta, IFN as type a lpha, beta and gamma. (C) 1997 W. B. Saunders Company Ltd.