Interleukin-17A and Chronic Stress in Pregnant Women at 24-28 Weeks Gestation.
Tiffany A Moore, Adam J Case, Therese L Mathews and 3 others
PMID 30829924WHAT IT FOUND
Higher levels of the cytokine IL-17A in 25 pregnant women were linked with lower birthweight, more prenatal distress, lower attachment, lower emotional intelligence, and more life events.
This was a small exploratory pilot, not a clinical test.
Key findings
01Higher IL-17A was associated with lower birthweight and higher prenatal distress in the women studied.
02Higher IL-17A was associated with lower emotional intelligence, lower antenatal attachment, and more major life events.
03Higher IL-17A was more likely in non-White women.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 25 women were enrolled, and some data were missing: blood (n = 1), EQi (n = 1), MAAS (n = 1), PDQ (n = 2), and LES (n = 2). This was a pilot study, and p-values were not adjusted for multiple comparisons. Type I error may be affected in this pilot study. The sample was accessible and mostly White (17 of 25; 68%) and non-Hispanic, so it may not apply broadly. Both medically high-risk and low-risk pregnancies were included, which may confound interpretation. Blood was collected during the routine metabolic/glucose challenge, which may have affected cytokine levels. Blood was collected between 24 and 28 weeks, and the study did not report measurements at other times. The assay included 29 cytokines because MCP-4 was unavailable.
Declared interests
The paper is listed as supported by NIH and non-U.S. government sources. The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that IL-17A causes lower birthweight or that stress causes inflammation. This was a small pilot with correlations only, and p-values were not adjusted for multiple comparisons.