American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 195, Issue 2 , Pages 394-405.e12, August 2006

Human spontaneous labor without histologic chorioamnionitis is characterized by an acute inflammation gene expression signature

  • Ramsi Haddad, PhD

      Affiliations

    • The Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI
    • ,
  • Gerard Tromp, PhD

      Affiliations

    • The Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
    • ,
  • Helena Kuivaniemi, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • The Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
    • Departments of Surgery
    • ,
  • Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • ,
  • Yeon Mee Kim, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI
    • Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
    • ,
  • Moshe Mazor, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI
    • ,
  • Roberto Romero, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI
    • The Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics

Received 3 March 2005; received in revised form 27 July 2005; accepted 17 August 2005.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify which biological processes may be involved in normal labor.

Study design

Transcriptional profiles for chorioamniotic membranes (n = 24) and blood (n = 20) were generated from patients at term with no labor (TNL) and in labor (TIL).

Results

Expression of 197 transcripts (P ≤ .02) differentiated TIL and TNL chorioamniotic membrane samples. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that TIL samples had increased expression of multiple chemokines and transcripts associated with neutrophil and monocyte recruitment. Microarray results were verified using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with independent samples. Transcriptional profiles from blood RNA revealed no Gene Ontology category enrichment of discriminant probe sets.

Conclusion

Labor induces gene expression changes consistent with localized inflammation, despite the absence of histologically detectable inflammation.

Key words: Chorioamniotic membrane, Blood, Transcriptional profile, Microarray, Acute inflammation, Parturition, Chorioamnionitis, Chemokines, Cytokines

 

 Supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS.Dr Mazor's present address is Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.Supplemental material is available at www.ajog.org.Reprints not available from the authors. Address correspondence to Roberto Romero, MD, Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD, NIH, DHHS, 3990 John R, 4th Floor, Detroit, MI 48201.

PII: S0002-9378(05)01380-3

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2005.08.057

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 195, Issue 2 , Pages 394-405.e12, August 2006

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