Age-related differentiations of Th1/Th2 cytokines in newborn infants

• Published in: Mediators of Inflammation Vol. 2004; no. 2; pp. 89 - 92
• Main Authors: Protonotariou, Efthimia, Malamitsi-Puchner, Ariadne, Rizos, Demetrios, Papagianni, Basiliki, Moira, Evangelia, Sarandakou, Angeliki, Botsis, Demetrios
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Hindawi Limiteds 01.04.2004; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Developmental characteristics; Female; Humans; Immune System - growth & development; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Interferon-gamma - blood; Interferon-γ; Interleukin-2; Interleukin-2 - blood; Interleukin-4; Interleukin-4 - blood; Male; Pregnancy; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - immunology; Interleukin-4; Interleukin-2; Interferon-γ; Developmental characteristics
• ISSN: 0962-9351; 1466-1861
• DOI: 10.1080/09629350410001688468

OBJECTIVE : To evaluate age-related differentiation of immune response in newborns by measuring serum concentrations of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) during the perinatal period. Subjects and methods: Fifty-seven healthy term neonates, their mothers and 25 healthy adults (controls) age-matched to the mothers were included in the study. Cytokine concentrations were measured in the umbilical cord (UC), and in first-day (1N) and fifth-day (5N) neonatal samples, compared with those in maternal serum (MS) and control serum samples. Results: Serum IL-2 concentrations in the UC were markedly elevated compared with those in MS and controls (p＜0.0001), decreasing significantly thereafter up to 5N (p＜0.001). IL-4 serum concentrations did not differ significantly between the UC, 1N and 5N samples; they were, however, markedly elevated compared with those in MS (p＜0.001, p＜0.0007 and p＜0.0001, respectively) and controls (p＜0.05, p＜0.01 and p＜0.006, respectively). IFN-g serum concentrations were significantly lower in the UC compared with those in controls (p＜0.04), increasing significantly up to 5N (p＜0.03). Both IFN-γ/IL-2 and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratios increased significantly in 5N, compared with those in the UC (p＜0.001 and p＜0.03). Conclusion: Our findings indicate a differential cytokine balance at birth with enhanced expression of IL- 2 and IL-4 against IFN-γ. However, a regularization of immune response seems to proceed quickly during the early neonatal life.