IL ‐17A[G197G]—Association between NOx and gestational age in a South African birth cohort

Summary Interleukin (IL‐)17A, plays a role in pathogenic defence, but is implicated in chronic inflammatory diseases, and has recently been associated with variable pregnancy outcomes. We investigated the role of maternal IL‐17‐[G197A]‐specific effects of third‐trimester IL‐17 mRNA expression, NOx exposure levels and other variables on gestational age, in the Mother and Child in the Environment (MACE) birth cohort in South Africa. A total of 327 participants were genotyped for IL‐17‐[G197A] by polymerase chain reaction restriction‐fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP). Quantitative real‐time PCR was used to quantitate IL‐17‐mRNA expression in whole blood. Multivariate linear regression analysis, stratified by IL‐17‐[G197A] genotype, was used to test for effects of NOx, IL17A/GAPDH, haemoglobin, body mass index, HIV‐1 positivity, maternal education and income level on gestational age. Lower expression was associated with the IL‐17‐GG versus GA in the cohort and HIV‐1‐negative group (p = .0007, p = .0058), while no difference was observed in the HIV‐1 positives. Elevated IL‐17A expression was observed in the high NOx exposure groups, within IL‐17[G197G] (p = .0004). IL‐17[G197G] was associated with PTB (p < .0001), and the PTB group had lower IL‐17A expression compared to the full‐term group (p = .0002). IL‐17 expression was associated with an increase in gestational age (p = .038), and NOx was associated wi...
Source: International Journal of Immunogenetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research