The physiologic increase in expression of some type I IFN-inducible genes during pregnancy is not associated with improved disease activity in pregnant patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Weix, Janine; Häupl, Thomas; Raio, Luigi; Villiger, Peter Matthias; Förger, Frauke (2013). The physiologic increase in expression of some type I IFN-inducible genes during pregnancy is not associated with improved disease activity in pregnant patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Translational Research, 161(6), pp. 505-12. New York, N.Y.: Elsevier 10.1016/j.trsl.2013.02.007

[img] Text
23507374.pdf - Published Version
Restricted to registered users only
Available under License Publisher holds Copyright.

Download (504kB) | Request a copy

During pregnancy, most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience a spontaneous improvement in their condition. Since type I interferons (IFN) have immunomodulatory properties, we investigated whether type I IFN-inducible genes are upregulated in pregnant patients with RA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for type I IFN-inducible genes (IFI 35, IFI44, IFI44L, IFIT3, OAS1, and Siglec1) in patients with RA and healthy women during and after pregnancy as well as in nonpregnant controls. IFN-alpha and IFN-beta levels in sera of patients and healthy donors were analyzed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. It was found that healthy women did not show a change of gene expression levels from the second trimester until postpartum, yet some type I IFN-inducible genes were significantly upregulated in pregnant and postpartum women compared with nonpregnant individuals. In patients with RA, a pronounced upregulation of IFI35 and IFI44 at the second trimester and a peak expression of Siglec1 at the third trimester were observed. Pregnancy levels of IFI35 and IFI44 in patients with RA were higher than those of nonpregnant patients with RA. No significant association of gene expression levels with disease activity was found. In the sera of patients and healthy women, IFN-beta was undetectable and IFN-alpha levels remained stable throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Thus, pregnancy can give rise to an increased expression of type I IFN-inducible genes, reflecting an upregulation of the innate immune system. However, an association of type I IFN-inducible genes with pregnancy induced disease amelioration seems unlikely.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Gynaecology

UniBE Contributor:

Raio, Luigi

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

1931-5244

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 14:40

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:12

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.trsl.2013.02.007

PubMed ID:

23507374

Web of Science ID:

000319537400006

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.16478

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/16478 (FactScience: 224128)

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback