Soluble TLR2 is present in human amniotic fluid and modulates the intraamniotic inflammatory response to infection.

TLRs are pattern recognition transmembrane receptors that play key roles in innate immunity. A recently discovered soluble truncated form of TLR2 (sTLR2) acts as a decoy receptor, down-regulating the host inflammatory response to bacteria. To identify the presence and functional role of sTLR2 in modulating the intraamniotic inflammatory response to infection, we studied 109 amniotic fluid samples of women with normal pregnancy outcomes (n = 28) and women with (n = 39) and without (n = 42) intraamniotic infection.