OBJECTIVES: The etiology of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), a pregnancy-specific complication, remains not completely understood. Some alterations of immunity in ICP were reported, but the profile of immune alteration was far from clarified. The aim of this investigation was to characterize the changes of serum levels of neopterin, a marker for the activation of macrophage, and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), a marker for the activation of lymphocyte, in ICP. METHODS: Serum levels of neopterin and sIL-2R were assayed with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 30 patients with ICP and 30 normal pregnant women. Student's t-test was used for statistic analysis, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Compared with control, serum levels of neopterin (p < 0.005) and sIL-2R (p < 0.05) were increased significantly in women with ICP. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of monocyte-macrophage and lymphocyte was demonstrated in ICP, and the participation of the activation of macrophage and lymphocyte in pathogenesis of the disease could be assumed.
OBJECTIVES: The etiology of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), a pregnancy-specific complication, remains not completely understood. Some alterations of immunity in ICP were reported, but the profile of immune alteration was far from clarified. The aim of this investigation was to characterize the changes of serum levels of neopterin, a marker for the activation of macrophage, and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), a marker for the activation of lymphocyte, in ICP. METHODS: Serum levels of neopterin and sIL-2R were assayed with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 30 patients with ICP and 30 normal pregnant women. Student's t-test was used for statistic analysis, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Compared with control, serum levels of neopterin (p < 0.005) and sIL-2R (p < 0.05) were increased significantly in women with ICP. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of monocyte-macrophage and lymphocyte was demonstrated in ICP, and the participation of the activation of macrophage and lymphocyte in pathogenesis of the disease could be assumed.