Nitric Oxide Production and Effects in Group B Chorioamnionitis.

Intrauterine infection, or chorioamnionitis, due to group B (GBS) is a common cause of miscarriage and preterm birth. To cause chorioamnionitis, GBS must bypass maternal-fetal innate immune defenses including nitric oxide (NO), a microbicidal gas produced by nitric oxide synthases (NOS). This study examined placental NO production and its role in host-pathogen interactions in GBS chorioamnionitis.