Abstract

Henriques CU, Rice GE, Wong MH, Bendtzen K. Immunolocalisation of interleukin-4 and interleulin-4 receptor in placenta and fetal membranes in association with pre-term labour and pre-eclampsia. Gynecol Obstet Invest 1998;46:172-7.

The aim of this study was to characterise the localisation and staining intensity of immunoreactive (ir) interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) in human placenta and fetal membranes in association with pre- term and term labour, and pre-eclampsia. The data obtained in this study establish the presence of irIL-4 and IL-4R in human placenta and fetal membranes obtained from women at 25-41 completed weeks of gestation. IL-4 and IL-4R immunohistochemical staining was principally localised in villous and chorionic trophoblast, and to amnion epithelial cells. The intensity of IL-4 and IL-4R immunohistochemical staining was not significantly affected by labour status at term or pre- term (p > 0.05), with the exception of IL-4R in the amnion (p < 0.05). In term amnion, IL-4R was only detectable following labour onset. When data were stratified with respect to the presence or absence of pre- eclampsia, no statistical difference in immunohistochemical localisation or staining intensity for either IL-4 or IL-4R could be identified for any of the tissues studied. Co-localisation of IL-4 and IL-4R within gestational tissues may indicate auto- and/or paracrine mechanisms of action for this cytokine. Tissue-specific, labour- associated induction of IL-4R may contribute to the regulation of biological effects of IL-4 within the uteroplacental unit.