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OP31.05: IL‐1 and IL‐23 in amniotic fluids of ultrasound‐detected aortic intima/media thickness and growth retardation
Author(s) -
Cosmi E.,
Visentin S.,
Lo Vasco V. R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.202
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1469-0705
pISSN - 0960-7692
DOI - 10.1002/uog.11694
Subject(s) - medicine , fetus , amniotic fluid , gestational age , gestation , ultrasound , obstetrics , biophysical profile , pregnancy , radiology , genetics , biology
Objectives: Our previous study performed on the abdominal aortic\udwall of a stillbirth presenting with IUGR and aIMT suggested\udan association among IUGR, aIMT, and inflammation. These\udobservations led us to analyze two cytokines involved in the\udinflammation cascade, IL-1 and IL-23, in amniotic fluid samples of\udIUGR and SGAfetuses presentingwith aIMT and in normal controls.\udMethods: Pregnant healthy women with a singleton fetus admitted\udto the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit were enrolled. aIMTl was\udmeasured by ultrasound examination as previously described,\udbetween the 25th and 32nd weeks of gestation using the computer\udaided detection and diagnosis (CADD) system to reduce intra\udand inter-observer variability. Aortic wall thickness was considered\udnormal when it measured less than 0.6 mm (mean = 0.46 mm; range\ud= 0.4–0.5 mm) and was considered thickened when it measured\udmore than 0.6 mm (mean = 0.77 mm; range = 0.7–1.1 mm).\udDepending on the aortic thickness fetuses were divided into three\udgroups: (1) IUGR fetuses (n = 12); (2) SGA (n = 10); and (3) AGA\udfetuses (50). Amniotic fluid samples were collected and IL-1 and\udIL-23 concentrations in AF samples were measured by ELISA.\udResults: The gestational ages at delivery varied from 36+6 to\ud41+3 weeks. there were no differences in the distribution of\udnewborns’ gender at delivery. AF IL-1 concentrations did not differ\udamong the tree groups. Between-group comparisons using a onetailed\udt-test found that the IL-23 concentrations were statistically\udhigher in the IUGR/aIMT group compared with the control group\ud(P = 0.00092) and nearly statistically significant in the SGA/aIMT\udgroup compared with the control group (P = 0.05944).\udConclusions: Our finding of elevated AF IL-23 concentrations in\udgrowth-restricted fetuses with aIMT suggests the role for IL-23 in\udthe genesis of aortic wall inflammation and aIMT. This finding might\udpave the way for further studies in order to investigate the role of\udthe IL-23/IL-17 axis in the pathogenesis of aIMT and its supposed\udrelationship with early atherosclerosis