Fol. Biol. 2023, 69, 1-5
Delivery-Associated Changes in the Levels of Inflammatory Molecules in Newborns
Inflammation is considered a fundamental process accompanying physiological human birth, also playing a role in perinatal pathologies. The goal of the study was to assess the concentrations of inflammatory molecules with respect to the mode of delivery and dynamics of inflammatory molecules in neonatal samples in the first 48–72 hours of life. The concentrations of inflammatory cytokines were measured using the Luminex®xMAP multi-analyte profiling platform in cord blood and peripheral neonatal blood. Study groups included newborns delivered spontaneously (spontaneous group) and via elective caesarean section (elective group). Cord blood concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and procalcitonin were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in the spontaneous group compared to the elective group. Neonatal blood concentrations of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) from the elective group were significantly higher compared to the spontaneous group (P = 0.0077). The concentrations of procalcitonin and TNF significantly increased within the first 48 to 72 hours following either mode of delivery. IL-6 and IL-18 were significantly higher in neonatal compared to umbilical cord blood in the elective group only, while the increase in the spontaneous group did not reach statistical significance. The concentrations of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-17A and IL-22 did not show significant differences between the spontaneous and elective groups as well as between umbilical cord and neonatal blood. Our findings show physiological differences in the levels of inflammatory molecules following spontaneous vaginal delivery and elective caesarean section. The results can be used as baseline values for the research of various pathologies in newborns.
Keywords
newborn, cord blood, neonatal blood, inflammatory cytokines, procalcitonin, delivery mode.
Funding
This study was supported by grant NU20-07-00109 from the Czech Health Research Council Agency, Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic; Medical and Research Programme, Ministry of Health, Czech Republic, MH CZ – DRO, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic 00064203, and DRO Thomayer University Hospital 0064190.
References
Copyright
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
