Evidence for an Elevation in Serum Interleukin‐2 and Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α Levels Before the Clinical Manifestations of Preeclampsia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify whether the disruption of immune regulation occurs in early pregnancy before the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia. The serum concentrations of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were determined by using enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) in the first trimester of pregnancy in women who had preeclampsia develop after 28 weeks of pregnancy (preeclamptic group) and in women who completed pregnancy uneventfully (control group). Serum concentrations of both IL-2 and TNF-alpha in the first trimester of the preeclamptic group were significantly higher than those of the control group. That the perturbation of feto-maternal immune regulation may precede the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia, which may be of relevance in the development of preeclampsia, is suggested.