Interleukin-17 Expression in the Human Placenta

Pongcharoen, S.; Somran, J.; Sritippayawan, S.; Niumsup, P.; Chanchan, P.; Butkhamchot, P.; Tatiwat, P.; Kunngurn, S.; Searle, R.F.

doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2006.01.016

« Previous Next »Placenta
Volume 28, Issue 1 , Pages 59-63, January 2007

Interleukin-17 Expression in the Human Placenta

S. Pongcharoen
- Department of Medicine, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
J. Somran
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
S. Sritippayawan
- Faculty of Medicine, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
P. Niumsup
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
P. Chanchan
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
P. Butkhamchot
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
P. Tatiwat
- Faculty of Medicine, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
S. Kunngurn
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Buddachinaraj Hospital, Phitsanulok, Thailand
R.F. Searle
- Anatomy and Clinical Skills Centre, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Corresponding author. Anatomy and Clinical Skills, The Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK. Tel.: +44 1912226625.

Accepted 24 January 2006.

Abstract

Interleukin (IL)-17 is a proinflammatory cytokine with pleiotropic activities including inducing neovascularization and production of proangiogenic molecules. As pregnancy outcome depends on the balance of Th1-like/Th2-like cytokines and an increased blood supply to the fetoplacental unit, the expression of IL-17 mRNA and protein in human placental tissues was investigated. IL-17 mRNA was expressed by purified cytokeratin-positive term placental trophoblast cells, HLA-G+ extravillous trophoblast cells and placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells). IL-17 localized in both cyto- and syncytiotrophoblasts of normal term pregnancy, spontaneous miscarriage and in molar pregnancy. In spontaneous miscarriage and molar pregnancy extravillous trophoblast cells were consistently immunoreactive for IL-17. IL-17 expression in human placenta may play a key role in angiogenesis and/or immunoregulation in the establishment of pregnancy.

Keywords: Human, IL-17 mRNA, IL-17 expression, Placenta