The effect of the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of prostaglandin E2 by cultured human decidual cells.

Objective: We hypothesized that interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) diminish production of PGE2 by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cultured human decidual cells.

Study Design: Decidual cells from six women undergoing elective cesarean delivery without labor at term were cultured to confluence and incubated with LPS (10 ng/mL) with and without IL-4 and IL-10 (10 ng/mL) and the supernatant assayed for PGE2.

Results: PGE2 concentration in non-treated cells (NT) was 16,693+/-8991 pg/mL and in cells incubated with IL-4 alone was 13,490+/-5729 pg/mL, not statistically different from that of the NT cells. Incubation with LPS increased PGE2 concentration (32,540+/-18,795 pg/mL) compared to NT cells (p=0.02). PGE2 concentration in cells co-incubated with IL-4 and LPS (8975+/-5249 pg/mL) was lower than in the LPS-alone group (p=0.005). PGE2 concentration in cells co-incubated with IL-10 and LPS was 29,644+/-25,085 pg/mL, not different from the LPS-alone group.

Conclusions: IL-4 reduced LPS-stimulated PGE2 production in decidual cells while IL-10 did not. IL-4 is a potential immunomodulatory agent in decidual inflammation.