Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antimicrobial Peptides and Preterm Birth

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Host Defense Peptides and Their Potential as Therapeutic Agents

  • 900 Accesses

Abstract

Preterm birth (delivery before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) is a major problem worldwide, leading to high mortality and significant long-term morbidity. A complex interaction between ascending lower genital tract infection and the maternal immune system is a likely underlying component of pathogenesis. In this chapter we consider the ways in which expression of antimicrobial peptides in the maternal genital tract may modulate the risk of ascending genital tract infection and thus the risk of preterm birth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abbott DS, Chin-Smith EC, Seed PT, Chandiramani M, Shennan AH, Tribe RM (2014) Raised trappin2/elafin protein in cervico-vaginal fluid is a potential predictor of cervical shortening and spontaneous preterm birth. PLoS ONE 9(7):e100771

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Africander D, Louw R, Verhoog N, Noeth D, Hapgood JP (2011) Differential regulation of endogenous pro-inflammatory cytokine genes by medroxyproges-terone acetate and norethisterone acetate in cell lines of the female genital tract. Contraception 84(4):423–435

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bajaj-Elliott M, Fedeli P, Smith GV, Domizio P, Maher L, Ali RS, Quinn AG, Farthing MJ (2002) Modulation of host antimicrobial peptide (beta-defensins 1 and 2) expression during gastritis. Gut 51(3):356–361

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Becher N, Adams Waldorf K, Hein M, Uldbjerg N (2009) The cervical mucus plug: structured review of the literature. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 88(5):502–513

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blencowe H, Cousens S, Oestergaard MZ, Chou D, Moller AB, Narwal R, Adler A, Vera Garcia C, Rohde S, Say L, Lawn JE (2012) National, regional, and worldwide estimates of preterm birth rates in the year 2010 with time trends since 1990 for selected countries: a systematic analysis and implications. Lancet 379(9832):2162–2172

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buhimschi CS, Dulay AT, Abdel-Razeq S, Zhao G, Lee S, Hodgson EJ, Bhandari V, Buhimschi IA (2009) Fetal inflammatory response in women with proteomic biomarkers characteristic of intra-amniotic inflammation and preterm birth. BJOG 116(2):257–267

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cobo T, Palacio M, Martinez-Terron M, Navarro-Sastre A, Bosch J, Filella X, Gratacos E (2011) Clinical and inflammatory markers in amniotic fluid as predictors of adverse outcomes in preterm premature rupture of membranes. Am J Obstet Gynecol 205(2):1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fellermann K, Stange EF (2001) Defensins—innate immunity at the epithelial frontier. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 13(7):771–776

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frew L, Stock SJ (2011) Antimicrobial peptides and pregnancy. Reproduction 141(6):725–735

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frew L, Makieva S, McKinlay AT, McHugh BJ, Doust A, Norman JE, Davidson DJ, Stock SJ (2014) Human cathelicidin production by the cervix. PLoS ONE 9(8):e103434

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Harder J, Bartels J, Christophers E, Schroder JM (2001) Isolation and characterization of human beta-defensin-3, a novel human inducible peptide antibiotic. J Biol Chem 276(8):5707–5713

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hein M, Valore EV, Helmig RB, Uldbjerg N, Ganz T (2002) Antimicrobial factors in the cervical mucus plug. Am J Obstet Gynecol 187(1):137–144

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iams JD, Romero R, Culhane JF, Goldenberg RL (2008) Primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality of preterm birth. Lancet 371(9607):164–175

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jansen PA, Rodijk-Olthuis D, Hollox EJ, Kamsteeg M, Tjabringa GS, de Jongh GJ, van Vlijmen-Willems IM, Bergboer JG, van Rossum MM, de Jong EM, den Heijer M, Evers AW, Bergers M, Armour JA, Zeeuwen PL, Schalkwijk J (2009) Beta-defensin-2 protein is a serum biomarker for disease activity in psoriasis and reaches biologically relevant concentrations in lesional skin. PLoS ONE 4(3):e4725

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jones HE, Harris KA, Azizia M, Bank L, Carpenter B, Hartley JC, Klein N, Peebles D (2009) Differing prevalence and diversity of bacterial species in fetal membranes from very preterm and term labor. PLoS ONE 4(12):e8205

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • King AE, Fleming DC, Critchley HO, Kelly RW (2003) Differential expression of the natural antimicrobials, beta-defensins 3 and 4, in human en-dometrium. J Reprod Immunol 59(1):1–16

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lucovnik M, Kornhauser-Cerar L, Premru-Srsen T, Gmeiner-Stopar T, Derganc M (2011) Neutrophil defensins but not interleukin-6 in vaginal fluid after preterm premature rupture of membranes predict fetal/neonatal inflammation and infant neurological impairment. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 90(8):908–916

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maggio L, Rouse DJ (2014) Progesterone. Clin Obstet Gynecol 57(3):547–556

    Google Scholar 

  • Marlow N, Wolke D, Bracewell MA, Samara M (2005) Neurologic and developmental disability at six years of age after extremely preterm birth. N Engl J Med 352(1):9–19

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moore T, Hennessy EM, Myles J, Johnson SJ, Draper ES, Costeloe KL, Marlow N (2012) Neurological and developmental outcome in extremely preterm children born in England in 1995 and 2006: the EPICure studies. BMJ 345:e7961

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Nold C, Maubert M, Anton L, Yellon S, Elovitz MA (2013) Prevention of preterm birth by progestational agents: what are the molecular mechanisms? Am J Obstet Gynecol 208(3):1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pazgier M, Hoover DM, Yang D, Lu W, Lubkowski J (2006) Human beta-defensins. Cell Mol Life Sci 63(11):1294–1313

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pazgier, M, Prahl, A, Hoover, DM, Lubkowski, J (2007) Studies of the biological properties of human beta-defensin 1. J Biol Chem 19, 282(3):1819–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Polettini J, Takitane J, Peracoli JC, Silva MG (2011) Expression of defensins 1, 3 and 4 in chorioamniotic membranes of preterm pregnancies complicated by chorioamnionitis. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 157(2):150–155

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prado-Montes de Oca E (2010) Human beta-defensin 1: a restless warrior against allergies, infections and cancer. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 42(6):800–804

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Röhrl J, Yang D, Oppenheim JJ, Hehlgans T (2010) Human beta-defensin 2 and 3 and their mouse orthologs induce chemotaxis through interaction with CCR2. J Immunol 15, 184(12):6688–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Semple F, Webb S, Li HN, Patel HB, Perretti M, Jackson IJ, Gray M, Davidson DJ, Dorin JR (2010) Human beta-defensin 3 has immunosuppressive activity in vitro and in vivo. Eur J Immunol 40(4):1073–1078

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Semple F, MacPherson H, Webb S, Cox SL, Mallin LJ, Tyrrell C, Grimes GR, Semple CA, Nix MA, Millhauser GL, Dorin JR (2011) Human—defensin 3 affects the activity of pro-inflammatory pathways associated with MyD88 and TRIF. Eur J Immunol 41(11):3291–3300

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stock SJ, Duthie L, Tremaine T, Calder AA, Kelly RW, Riley SC (2009) Elafin (SKALP/Trappin-2/proteinase inhibitor-3) is produced by the cervix in pregnancy and cervicovaginal levels are diminished in bacterial vaginosis. Reprod Sci 16(12):1125–1134

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tita AT, Andrews WW (2010) Diagnosis and management of clinical chorioamnionitis. Clin Perinatol 37(2):339–354

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wiesner J, Vilcinskas A (2010) Antimicrobial peptides: the ancient arm of the human immune system. Virulence 1(5):440–464

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wira CR, Rodriguez-Garcia M, Patel MV (2015) The role of sex hormones in immune protection of the female reproductive tract. Nat Rev Immunol 15(4):217–230

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J, Holzman CB, Arvidson CG, Chung H, Goepfert AR (2008) Midpreg- nancy vaginal fluid defensins, bacterial vaginosis, and risk of preterm delivery. Obstet Gynecol 112(3):524–531

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zasloff M (2002) Antimicrobial peptides of multicellular organisms. Nature 415(6870):389–395

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK

    Catherine P James

  2. Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK

    Mona Bajaj-Elliott

Authors
  1. Catherine P James
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mona Bajaj-Elliott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine P James .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Health Sciences Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Richard M. Epand

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

James, C.P., Bajaj-Elliott, M. (2016). Antimicrobial Peptides and Preterm Birth. In: Epand, R. (eds) Host Defense Peptides and Their Potential as Therapeutic Agents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32949-9_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation