Longitudinal Study of Anti- Inflammatory and Pro- Inflammatory Cytokines in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria

Aloy-Amadi Oluchi, C.¹, Amilo Grace, I.¹, Ifeanyichukwu Martin¹, Obeagu Emmanuel Ifeanyi^2*, Ken-Ezihuo Stella³ & Ahaneku Osuji⁴

¹Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra, Nigeria
²Medical Laboratory Science, University Health Services, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria
³Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
⁴Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada Abuja, Nigeria

Obeagu Emmanuel Ifeanyi, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University Health Services, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.

Keywords: Pregnancy; Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines; Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines; Nnewi

Abstract

Background
Normal Pregnancy is characterized by changes in Immunological profiles which have been linked to physiological adaptation. These immunological parameters are either elevated or decreased to reinforce immunity and maintain a healthy pregnancy, but returns to that of non-pregnant state at about 4-6 weeks after delivery.
Aim
The study was undertaken to determine the concentrations of some anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory cytokines in pregnancy at different trimesters and to compare these non-pregnant females.
Methods
The research involved 160 apparently healthy pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Nnamdi Azikiwe University teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State Nigeria, at booking in their first trimesters. Five Milliliters (5ml) of Venous blood was collected from each subject, of which 4mls was put into gel tubes for Screening for HIV I & II, Hepatitis B Surface Antigen(HBsAg), Hepatitis C virus(HCV), Veneral Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) and cytokines while 1ml was aliquoted into potassium EDTA anti coagulated tubes for malaria parasite screening using standard laboratory techniques. These women were followed - up till the last trimester. During the second trimester, 156 pregnant women were eligible, and only 140 subjects completed the study during the third trimester.

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