What is the impact of SOCS3, IL-35 and IL17 in immune pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss?

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the plasma levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), IL-17, IL-35 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in the women with history of idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and in the fertile controls.

Methods: This study was conducted with 60 idiopathic RPL cases and 40 age-matched fertile controls. Mid-follicular plasma levels of IL-17, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, SOCS3 and IL-35 were assayed by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The mean age of RPL and control cases were 31.6 ± 0.6 and 32.1 ± 0.7 years, respectively. While plasma IL-35 and SOCS3 levels of RPL group were significantly lower than that of the control group; IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and TGF-beta levels of RPL group were significantly higher than that of the control group. The comparison of cytokine ratios between RPL and control groups indicated significantly high TNF-alpha/IL-10, TNF-alpha/IL-4, IFN-gamma/IL-10, IFN-gamma/IL-6 and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratios in the RPL group. IL-35/IL-17 ratio was significantly low in the RPL group compared to that in the control group. Overstimulation of TNF-alpha presented moderate influence on recurrent miscarriage risk.

Conclusion: Decreased SOCS3 and IL-35 plasma levels and increased Th1/Th2 cytokine ratios in RPL cases pointed out the supression of anti-inflammatory process and this supression might play an important role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic RPL.

• IL-17
• IL-35
• recurrent pregnancy loss
• SOCS3
• T helper

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Ahmet Godekmerdan and Dr Banu Kumbak for their intellectual contribution to this study.

Declaration of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

This study was supported by Firat University Scientific Research Foundation.

Supplementary material available online

Supplementary Tables