Vaginal infection with Ureaplasma urealyticum accounts for preterm delivery via induction of inflammatory responses

解脲脲原体是支原体科的成员，经常在孕妇的阴道中观察到。在这项研究中，我们研究了脲原体感染是否与早产有关，以及脲原体脂蛋白（LP）是否有能力刺激单核细胞产生与早产相关的促炎细胞因子。随机选择正常分娩100例，早产45例。我们制备了一种抗解脲脲原体尿素酶的单克隆抗体（mAb），该抗体在感染妇女的阴道分泌物中选择性阳性染色，但在未感染妇女中不染色。早产组阴道感染率明显高于正常分娩组。由于支原体LP具有较强的生物学活性，我们提取了支原体LP。THP-1细胞，人单核细胞，产生白细胞介素（IL）-8，一种与早产相关的强效促炎细胞因子，并显示响应于LP的凋亡性细胞死亡。这些结果表明，U。解脲支原体感染可能通过诱导IL-8的产生和细胞凋亡在早产中起作用。

Ureaplasma urealyticum is a member of the family Mycoplasmataceae and often observed in the vagina of pregnant women. In this study, we examined if ureaplasmal infection is associated with preterm delivery and whether ureaplasmal lipoprotein (LP) has the capacity to stimulate monocytes to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines relevant to preterm delivery in vitro. We selected 100 cases of normal delivery and 45 cases of preterm delivery at random. We generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against U.urealyticum urease that selectively and positively stained it in vaginal secretions of infected women but not of uninfected women. The preterm delivery group showed significantly higher incidence for vaginal infection with this bacteria than the normal delivery group. Since LP of Mycoplasma has a potent biological activity, we extracted ureaplasmal LP. THP-1 cells, human monocytic cells, produced interleukin (IL)-8, a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine associated with preterm delivery, and showed apoptotic cell death in response to the LP. These results suggested that U. urealyticum infection might play a causative role in preterm delivery via LP-induced of IL-8 production and apoptosis.