Russian State Medical University, Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
Levels of expression of hBD-1 gene (b-defensin 1) and Toll-like receptors (TLR1, TLR2, TLR6) in cells of cervical mucosa in healthy non-pregnant and healthy pregnant women as well as in pregnant women with urogenital infection was measured by developed RT-PCR systems. During normal pregnancy compared with non-pregnant women, increase of TLRs genes expres-sion which was correlated with increase of hBD-1 gene expression was observed. During uro-genital infection in pregnant women compared with healthy pregnant, 10- fold and 50-fold in-crease of TLR1 and TLR2 genes expression respectively was associated with 2.5-fold decrease of hBD-1 gene expression in cervical mucosa. In group of women with untrauterine infection more marked increase of TLRs genes expression was observed. Thus significant changes (TLRs, antimicrobial peptides, cytokines etc.) in cells of cervical mucosa can be used as prog-nostic criteria for development of intrauterine infection.
Zh. Mikrobiol. (Moscow), 2008, No. 1, P. 46—50