Cytokine profiles during delivery affect cord blood hematopoietic stem and progenitors cells.

The study was aimed to determine the correlations between serum levels of cytokines (GM-CSF, IL-4, IL-10 and TNF) in maternal (MB) and cord blood (CB) and some features of cord blood hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (CB HSPCs). Study material was MB and concomitant CB samples collected from 98 volunteers at the moment of delivery. The IL-4, IL-10, TNF and GM-CSF concentrations in serum and in supernatants from PMA-stimulated mononuclear cells isolated from both blood types were measured using BD Cytometric Bead Array Flex Set System. CB HSPCs (CD34(+)CD45(low)) proportion was also estimated by flow cytometry. The most relevant results concerned the tendency to down regulation of CB HSPCs number with an increase of IL-4, IL-10 and GM-CSF levels, only the TNF concentration seems to have no influence on HSPCs pole size. The strongest positive correlations were found between CD34(+)CD45(low) HSPCs number and IL-10 and GM-CSF in MB serum and GM-CSF and TNF from CB supernatants. The strongest negative correlations were found between CD34(+)CD45(low) HSPCs number and IL-4 and GM-CSF in CB serum and IL-10 in MB supernatants. Interestingly, we observed 'opposite correlation' between serum and supernatant from CB and MB. We concluded that elevated serum levels of IL-4, IL-10 and GM-CSF in CB are indicative of enhanced differentiation of HSPCs and characterize a normal perinatal development. Elevated levels of cytokines seem to stimulate differentiation of HSPCs what is advantageous for neonates during perinatal period.