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Human mid-gestation amniotic fluid contains interleukin-16 bioactivity

Human mid-gestation amniotic fluid contains interleukin-16 bioactivity
Human mid-gestation amniotic fluid contains interleukin-16 bioactivity
CD4-positive cells are detectable in the human fetal gastrointestinal tract from 11 weeks of gestation. Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is a chemoattractant for CD4(+) cells and, via fetal swallowing of amniotic fluid, could mediate the influx of CD4(+) cells into the fetal gut. We have shown that IL-16 was detectable in human amniotic fluid at 16-18 weeks of gestation (mid-pregnancy) but was not detectable at term (late pregnancy; > 37 weeks of gestation). Similarly, mid-pregnancy, but not late pregnancy, amniotic fluid contained chemotactic activity for CD4(+) T cells, this activity was reduced by 58% in the presence of a neutralizing anti-IL-16 antibody. The levels of IL-16 in fetal plasma at 16-24 weeks of gestation were very high, and decreased significantly by 25-36 weeks but at > 37 weeks remained significantly higher than adult levels. IL-16 transcripts were detectable in whole tissue extracts of fetal gut, skin and placenta but not in amniocytes, and IL-16 immunoreactivity was detectable in cells within the lamina propria of the fetal gut and within the skin, where it was associated with the basement membrane. Neither IL-16 levels nor chemotactic activity for CD4(+) T cells in mid-pregnancy amniotic fluid was related to atopic outcomes at 1 year of age. IL-16 might have an important role in the early development of the human immune system and/or in regulating fetal and maternal immunological responsiveness during pregnancy.
amniotic fluid, atopy, chemotaxis, interleukin-16, pregnancy
0019-2805
543-551
Thornton, Catherine A.
cff89e57-48ce-4457-93ed-8a2ba8a999cb
Holloway, Judith A.
f22f45f3-6fc8-4a4c-bc6c-24add507037c
Shute, Janis K.
a5eef853-50ae-4abf-9e34-1c873601437f
Holloway, John W.
4bbd77e6-c095-445d-a36b-a50a72f6fe1a
Diaper, Norma D.
133a4395-dfd0-4119-81d8-11ed01886184
Warner, John O.
50630e99-8486-4859-ade3-cd2c79c5a153
Thornton, Catherine A.
cff89e57-48ce-4457-93ed-8a2ba8a999cb
Holloway, Judith A.
f22f45f3-6fc8-4a4c-bc6c-24add507037c
Shute, Janis K.
a5eef853-50ae-4abf-9e34-1c873601437f
Holloway, John W.
4bbd77e6-c095-445d-a36b-a50a72f6fe1a
Diaper, Norma D.
133a4395-dfd0-4119-81d8-11ed01886184
Warner, John O.
50630e99-8486-4859-ade3-cd2c79c5a153

Thornton, Catherine A., Holloway, Judith A., Shute, Janis K., Holloway, John W., Diaper, Norma D. and Warner, John O. (2009) Human mid-gestation amniotic fluid contains interleukin-16 bioactivity. Immunology, 126 (4), 543-551. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-2567.2008.02903.x). (PMID:19278422)

Record type: Article

Abstract

CD4-positive cells are detectable in the human fetal gastrointestinal tract from 11 weeks of gestation. Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is a chemoattractant for CD4(+) cells and, via fetal swallowing of amniotic fluid, could mediate the influx of CD4(+) cells into the fetal gut. We have shown that IL-16 was detectable in human amniotic fluid at 16-18 weeks of gestation (mid-pregnancy) but was not detectable at term (late pregnancy; > 37 weeks of gestation). Similarly, mid-pregnancy, but not late pregnancy, amniotic fluid contained chemotactic activity for CD4(+) T cells, this activity was reduced by 58% in the presence of a neutralizing anti-IL-16 antibody. The levels of IL-16 in fetal plasma at 16-24 weeks of gestation were very high, and decreased significantly by 25-36 weeks but at > 37 weeks remained significantly higher than adult levels. IL-16 transcripts were detectable in whole tissue extracts of fetal gut, skin and placenta but not in amniocytes, and IL-16 immunoreactivity was detectable in cells within the lamina propria of the fetal gut and within the skin, where it was associated with the basement membrane. Neither IL-16 levels nor chemotactic activity for CD4(+) T cells in mid-pregnancy amniotic fluid was related to atopic outcomes at 1 year of age. IL-16 might have an important role in the early development of the human immune system and/or in regulating fetal and maternal immunological responsiveness during pregnancy.

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More information

Published date: April 2009
Keywords: amniotic fluid, atopy, chemotaxis, interleukin-16, pregnancy

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 72879
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/72879
ISSN: 0019-2805
PURE UUID: 14d22a7b-a70c-412c-94e1-72b43030ab7b
ORCID for Judith A. Holloway: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2268-3071
ORCID for John W. Holloway: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9998-0464

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 24 Feb 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:44

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Contributors

Author: Catherine A. Thornton
Author: Janis K. Shute
Author: Norma D. Diaper
Author: John O. Warner

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