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Review
. 2012:2012:967629.
doi: 10.1155/2012/967629. Epub 2012 Jun 7.

The Th1:th2 dichotomy of pregnancy and preterm labour

Lynne Sykes  1 , David A MacIntyre, Xiao J Yap, Tiong Ghee Teoh, Phillip R Bennett
Affiliations
Review

The Th1:th2 dichotomy of pregnancy and preterm labour

Lynne Sykes et al. Mediators Inflamm. 2012.

Abstract

Pregnancy is a unique immunological state in which a balance of immune tolerance and suppression is needed to protect the fetus without compromising the mother. It has long been established that a bias from the T helper 1 cytokine profile towards the T helper 2 profile contributes towards successful pregnancy maintenance. The majority of publications that report on aberrant Th1:Th2 balance focus on early pregnancy loss and preeclampsia. Over the last few decades, there has been an increased awareness of the role of infection and inflammation in preterm labour, and the search for new biomarkers to predict preterm labour continues. In this paper, we explore the evidence for an aberrant Th1:Th2 profile associated with preterm labour. We also consider the potential for its use in screening women at high risk of preterm labour and for prophylactic therapeutic measures for the prevention of preterm labour and associated neonatal adverse outcomes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of the adaptive and innate immune system in pregnancy. Mediators of the adaptive and innate immune system work in parallel to facilitate a balance between immune tolerance of the fetus whilst maintaining the ability to mount a response against invading pathogens. PWBC: peripheral white blood cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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