The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
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J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. · Jul 2008
Amniotic fluid heat shock protein 70 concentration in histologic chorioamnionitis, term and preterm parturition.
Heat shock protein (HSP) 70, a conserved member of the stress protein family, is produced in almost all cell types in response to a wide range of stressful stimuli, and its production has a survival value. Evidence suggests that extracellular HSP70 is involved in the activation of the innate and adaptive immune response. Furthermore, increased mRNA expression of HSP70 has been observed in human fetal membranes following endotoxin stimulation. This study was conducted to determine the changes in amniotic fluid HSP70 concentrations during pregnancy, term and preterm parturition, intra-amniotic infection (IAI), and histologic chorioamnionitis. ⋯ Intra-amniotic infection, histologic chorioamnionitis, and term parturition are associated with elevated amniotic fluid HSP70 concentrations. HSP70 plays a role in the host defense mechanism by activating the innate arm of the immune response in women with intrauterine infection. The mechanisms of preterm and term parturition in humans may involve extracellular HSP70.