StemCell Therapy

When a woman gets pregnant, there is a change in her immune system. (Source: Thinkstock/Getty)

By Dr Aparna Jha

Pregnancies usually last for about 40 weeks. If a baby is born before 37 weeks, it is known as premature birth. In such cases, the infant is too small for breathing or regulating body temperature. This can lead to brain bleeds and other organ troubles. Premature birth can also lead to disability, cognitive problems, development delays, and infant death. Many of such babies will require speech and/or physical therapy later. It can also seriously affect the health of the mother.

It has been difficult knowing the cause of preterm birth. In most of the cases, there have been no risk factors involved. Here are some risk factors for premature birth:

Some researchers believe that the immune system of a mother can play a role in predicting preterm birth. The immune system is sensitive to environmental changes. It might be the common denominator for all the factors contributing to preterm labor. For decades, all the immune-related proteins and genes involved in inflammation have been associated with preterm births. However, there has been no link in treatments or predictive tests.

When a woman gets pregnant, there is a change in her immune system. Chemicals are released into the body that stop the immune cells from attacking the cells of the embryos as the foreign invaders. After the cells are implanted into the uterus walls, decidua, a thick layer of tissue, starts forming between the embryo and the mother. Also, anti-inflammatory immune cells like regulatory T cells are used for keeping the immune system at bay.

When the woman reaches the last stage of her pregnancy, between 37 to 40 weeks, this immuno suppression is switched. All the immune cells start flooding the area and setting off a chain reaction. This triggers the contraction of the uterus. Also, due to the inflammation, enzymes are released from the cells that dissolve the membrane that surrounds the foetus. This results in the breaking and releasing of the amniotic fluid. Now, it is important that these processes happen, but not before 37 weeks.

In the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, it was reported that inflammation involves a protein called cytokines that were present in a higher amount in the amniotic fluid of women who gave preterm birth. The higher the cytokine levels, the earlier was the delivery. Also, women with short cervix had higher levels of a cytokine named MIP-1B or Macrophage Inflammatory protein-1 beta present in their amniotic fluid.

There are thousands of contributing factors in the blood and microbiome of the mother towards preterm birth. These factors can be analysed through a system:

It is clear that these changes can be predicted earlier by researching the immune system of the mother. For solidifying the connection between the immune system and preterm birth reliable immune markers need to be detected in the blood and tied to the difference visible in the amniotic fluid. Now since every cause of preterm birth is still unknown, it is not possible to find these biological markers.

(The writer is Consultant Gynecologist and Obstetrician, Apollo Cradle, Bangalore.)

Go here to read the rest:
How the immune system can predict preterm birth - The Indian Express

This entry was posted on November 27, 2019 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Immune System. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |