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Relaxin and the Human Fetal Membranes

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Abstract

The human fetal membranes are complex tissues that perform many important functions during gestation. The extracellular matrix provides their strength to withstand the forces directed from the fetus and myometrium. Relaxin is a collagenolytic hormone that causes increased production of the matrix metalloproteinases. Its expression from the decidua is increased in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes, and its leucine-rich G receptor 7 is upregulated at preterm. The authors previously showed that relaxin is not involved in the infection-mediated cytokine response, but in the absence of infection, it causes increased secretion of both interleukin -6 and interleukin-8 from the membranes. In this article, the authors propose that relaxin is one of a number of sterile stimuli capable of causing increased proinflammatory cytokines, similar to but less robust than the effects of infection. These probably represent distinct inflammatory pathways involving different intracellular signaling events, which can result in either preterm premature rupture of the membranes or preterm labor. The current challenge is to fully understand these pathways and to clarify their similarities and differences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Biosciences Building, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA

    Gillian D. Bryant-Greenwood PhD, Andras Kern PhD, Sandra Y. Yamamoto BS, Drew W. Sadowsky PhD & Miles J. Novy MD

  2. National Primate Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

    Gillian D. Bryant-Greenwood PhD, Andras Kern PhD, Sandra Y. Yamamoto BS, Drew W. Sadowsky PhD & Miles J. Novy MD

Authors
  1. Gillian D. Bryant-Greenwood PhD
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  2. Andras Kern PhD
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  3. Sandra Y. Yamamoto BS
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  4. Drew W. Sadowsky PhD
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  5. Miles J. Novy MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gillian D. Bryant-Greenwood PhD.

Additional information

This work was supported by grants from NIH HD 24314, HD 06159, HD 18185, HD 01264, and HD 41676.

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Bryant-Greenwood, G.D., Kern, A., Yamamoto, S.Y. et al. Relaxin and the Human Fetal Membranes. Reprod. Sci. 14 (Suppl 8), 42–45 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719107310821

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