AIMS: Hofbauer cells (HBCs) are placental macrophages playing various roles during normal and complicated pregnancies, and of the latter, chorioamnionitis is the most frequent. METHODS: In placenta with chorioamnionitis, we examined immunohistochemical expression profiles of IL-1β, IL-10, and their potential regulators, CYP2C8 and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), in Hofbauer cells and compared the results with our previously published data for normal placenta. RESULTS: We found that the expression profiles of the studied proteins in Hofbauer cells in chorioamnionitis differs from normal placenta. In chorioamnionitis, HBCs showed a moderate expression of IL-1β together with a weak expression of IL-10 and CYP2C8. Contrary to normal placenta, HBCs in chorioamnionitis express sEH. We demonstrated a moderate positive correlation between the expression of CYP2C8 and sEH in chorioamnionitis (Spearman r = 0.5654), suggesting enhanced degradation of anti-inflammatory epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Moreover, the relations of IL-1β and IL-10 to CYP2C8, previously described in normal placenta, disappeared. Furthermore, a weak expression of anti-inflammatory IL-10 in chorioamnionitis was accompanied by change in circularity of HBCs (Spearman r = 0.8193). CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings suggest a possible alteration of the anti-inflammatory role of HBCs and its regulation in chorioamnionitis.

• Keywords
• CYP epoxygenases, chorioamnionitis, placental macrophages, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines,
• MeSH
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents MeSH
• Chorioamnionitis * MeSH
• Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C8 * metabolism   MeSH
• Epoxide Hydrolases * metabolism   MeSH
• Immunomodulation MeSH
• Interleukin-10 MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Placenta metabolism   MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents MeSH
• CYP2C8 protein, human MeSH Browser
• Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C8 * MeSH
• Epoxide Hydrolases * MeSH
• Interleukin-10 MeSH