Maternal, placental and cord blood cytokines and the risk of adverse birth outcomes among pregnant women infected with Schistosoma japonicum in the Philippines

摘要

Author summary Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic tropical diseases, and it is primarily treated with the drug praziquantel. This study examined the effects of praziquantel treatment for schistosomiasis and the presence of geohelminth infections during pregnancy on cytokines in maternal, placental, and cord blood, and examined the effects of pro-inflammatory signatures at the maternal-fetal interface on perinatal outcomes. We analyzed the data of 369 mother-infant pairs obtained from a randomized controlled trial of praziquantel given at 1216 weeks' gestation. Praziquantel treatment did not significantly alter the trajectory of the concentration of any of the cytokines examined. Elevated levels of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines were associated with the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes (small-for-gestational age and prematurity). Hookworm coinfection at 12 weeks' gestation was, however, related to elevated levels of certain cytokines in the placenta (IL-1, IL-5, CXCL8 and IFN-).