Soluble TRAIL in normal pregnancy and acute pyelonephritis: a potential explanation for the susceptibility of pregnant women to microbial products and infection

Figures & data

Table 1. Clinical characteristics by study group: (1) non-pregnant, (2) uncomplicated pregnancy and (3) pregnancy with acute pyelonephritis.

	Non-pregnant women (n = 23)	Uncomplicated pregnancy (n = 93)	p	Pregnancy with acute pyelonephritis (n = 23)	p*	p**
Age (years)	26.6 ± 5.2	24.7 ± 4.8	0.33	24.9 ± 6.2	1.0	0.786
Nulliparity	14 (60.9)	28 (30.1)	0.01	6 (26.1)	0.7	0.02
Smoking	2 (12.5)	16 (17.4)	0.63	3 (13)	0.62	0.96
Race
African American	14 (60.9)	69 (74.2)	0.32	16 (69.6)	0.4	0.4
Caucasian	7 (30.4)	13 (14)		4 (17.4)
Hispanic	1 (4.3)	5 (5.4)		3 (13)
Other	1 (4.3)	6 (6.5)		0 (0)
Storage time (years)	10.7 ± 1.0	11 ± 0.7	0.53	11.1 ± 0.7	0.62	0.23
Gestational age at venipuncture (weeks)		33.1 ± 5.8		32 ± 4.8	0.39
Gestational age at delivery (weeks)		39.5 ± 1.3		38.4 ± 2.8	0.08
Birth weight (g)		3368.4 ± 354.7		3079.1 ± 641.8	0.05

Values are presented as mean ± SD or n (%).

p compared between non-pregnant women and uncomplicated pregnancy.

p* compared between uncomplicated pregnancy and pregnancy with acute pyelonephritis.

p** compared between non-pregnant women and pregnancy with acute pyelonephritis.

Figure 1. The mean maternal plasma sTRAIL concentration in non-pregnant women, uncomplicated pregnancy and pregnancy with acute pyelonephritis. Women with uncomplicated pregnancy had a significantly lower mean maternal plasma sTRAIL concentration than non-pregnant women (mean ± SD: 31.5 ± 10.1 pg/mL versus mean ± SD: 53.3 ± 12.5 pg/mL; p < 0.001). Pregnant women with acute pyelonephritis had a significantly lower mean maternal plasma sTRAIL concentration than those with uncomplicated pregnancy (mean ± SD: 20.5 ± 6.6 pg/mL versus mean ± SD: 31.5 ± 10.1 pg/mL; p < 0.001).

Figure 2. The mean maternal plasma sTRAIL concentration in pregnancy with acute pyelonephritis without bacteremia and those with bacteremia. Pregnant women with acute pyelonephritis who had bacteremia had a significantly lower mean maternal plasma concentration of sTRAIL than those without bacteremia (mean ± SD: 15.1 ± 4.8 pg/mL versus mean ± SD: 24.7 ± 4.6 pg/mL; p < 0.001).

Table 2. Clinical characteristics by culture status among women in the acute pyelonephritis group.

	Urine culture positive alone (n = 13)	Urine and blood culture positive (n = 10)	p
Age (years)	24.92 ± 5.8	24.9 ± 7.1	0.99
Nulliparity	5 (38.5)	1 (10)	0.12
Smoking	2 (15.4)	1 (10)	0.70
Race
African American	9 (69.2)	7 (70)	0.91
Caucasian	2 (15.4)	2 (20)
Hispanic	2 (15.4)	1 (10)
Other	0 (0)	0 (0)
Gestational age at venipuncture (weeks)	32.99 ± 4.96	30.7 ± 4.42	0.26
Gestational age at delivery (weeks)	37.96 ± 3.18	38.94 ± 2.23	0.41
Birth weight (g)	3009.5 ± 756.72	3169.6 ± 476.71	0.57

Values are presented as mean ± SD or n (%).