Murine serum cytokines throughout the estrous cycle, pregnancy and post partum period

Multiplex determination of murine seminal fluid cytokine profiles

“…The serum cytokine concentrations reported here are comparable, in some respects, to those identified in C57/Bl6 female mice during the oestrous cycle and in early pregnancy using multiplex immunoassays (Orsi et al 2006). Noteworthy exceptions in CD1 males were: much higher MIP-1a and IFN-g levels; elevated IL-1a, IL-17, TNF-a and GM-CSF concentrations; and lower IL-6, IL-10, G-CSF, RANTES and IL-12 (p40) profiles.…”

“…This was achieved by 23-plex fluid-phase immunoassay using custom kits (BioRad Laboratories) run on a Luminex-100 cytometer (Luminex Corporation, Austin, TX, USA), equipped with StarStation software (Applied Cytometry Systems, Dinnington, UK) (Vignali 2000, Powell et al 2004. Serum diluent was used in all cases to avoid false positive/ negatives and dilution adjusted to 1:1 in order to maximise sensitivity to baseline levels (Orsi et al 2006). All samples were analysed in duplicate.…”

“…Intriguingly, in man, activation of seminal plasma latent TGF-b1 appears to be delayed until triggered by the acidic environment of the vagina (Nocera & Chu 1995, Chu et al 1996. Although alterations in the profile of some of these cytokines is not recorded in the peripheral circulation, it has been noted that murine coitus results in a fall in serum interferon (IFN)-g and interleukin (IL)-12 (p70) concentrations, paralleled by a rise in keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels in serum (Orsi et al 2006). The immunomodulatory properties of seminal plasma have been highlighted by studies indicating that exposure to seminal fluid can: induce IL-1b, IL-6 and leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) expression in human cultured endometrial epithelial cells (Gutsche et al 2003); alter IL-8 and IL-10 release from human cervical explants, peripheral blood and monocyte cell lines in vitro (Denison et al 1999); and elicit a rise in granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in murine uterine luminal epithelial cells (Robertson et al 1996a).…”

“…Fluidphase multiplex immunoassays were used to overcome the difficulties associated with multiple analyses on small sample volumes from individual animals (Orsi et al 2006). Seminal vesicle fluid was used since it was straightforward to collect, and because it is understood to contain the immunomodulatory factors that act on the maternal tract.…”

Maternal and fetal outcome in pregnancy with hepatitis E virus infection

“…4,5 HEV is a non-enveloped, spherical, 7.5 kb, positive stranded RNA genome with 3 open reading frames (ORFs). 6,7 Although originally classified within the family of caliciviruses, but now they are classified within family hepeviridae. 5 The virus was first isolated in 1980s.…”