Serum levels of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines in threatened miscarriage in pregnant women within Owerri metropolis, Nigeria

Pregnancy is a biological process whereby complex cytokine networks play an important role especially in complications, such as threatened miscarriage. This study assessed the serum levels of pro (TNF-alpha and IL-2) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines in threatened miscarriage in pregnant women within Owerri metropolis. A total of 140 women were recruited for this study; 60 pregnant test subjects, 40 pregnant subjects and 40 non-pregnant subjects as control groups. Serum levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) alpha, Interleukin-2 (IL-2), Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) were determined using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay techniques. Data were expressed as median and analyzed using Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal Wallis test. Anthropometric data and others were obtained using standard methods. P values ≤0.05. Demographic studies showed that among the pregnant subjects, 79% are primigravida while 21% are multigravida. Among all the subjects, 18.6% were of the higher social class, 51.4% middle class and 30% lower class. The results showed a significant increase in the median values of the pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines of the pregnant test subjects, when compared with the control groups (p<0.05). However, there is a significant increase in IL-4 (p<0.05) of the non-pregnant control subjects compared to the pregnant control subjects. Conclusively, the results showed severe increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as moderate increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokines in the pregnant test group than the control groups. This could be used as biomarkers of threatened miscarriage.