Effects of Inflammatory Cytokines on Prostaglandin E2 Production from Human Amnion Cells Cultured in Serum-Free Condition

The effects of five inflammatory cytokines, i.e. interleukin(IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production from amnion cells cultured in a serum-free condition was evaluated. After human amnion cells obtained from term placenta were incubated with the inflammatory cytokines at various concentrations, PGE2 production in the culture supernatant was determined using an enzyme immunoassay method. Under a serum-free culture condition, an increase in PGE2 production by IL-1α and IL-1β was observed at concentrations of 10 and 100 ng/ml compared to control cultures. However, the increases in PGE2 production by IL-6 and IL-8 were found at relatively high concentrations, i.e. at 100 and 200 ng/ml. TNF-α induced a significant increase in PGE2 production at 50 and 100 ng/ml, but not at 200 ng/ml. These data suggest that these inflammatory cytokines directly stimulate PGE2 production from amnion cells and may initiate premature labor if amniotic inflammatory cytokines are elevated, e.g. following intrauterine infection.