宫内感染是引起早产的重要因素之一。近年的研究发现白细胞介素 6 (IL - 6 )与早产关系密切。羊水中 IL - 6作为一项敏感的生物指标可预测亚临床感染性早产 ,高水平羊水 IL - 6预示保胎失败 ;宫颈分泌物 IL - 6浓度的测定 ,可以非侵袭性预测内膜感染性早产 ,从而及时给予治疗。血清 IL - 6浓度升高 ,是预测早产和感染的一个可靠标志 ,并具有非侵入性和可重复性等优点。
Objective: To study the effect of glucocorticoid on the promoter of the pre-receptor glucocorticoid metabolizing enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) gene. Methods: The 1. 2 kb length sequence upstream to the transcription start site of the 11β-HSD1 gene was amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then was cloned into pBLCAT6 plasmid carrying chloramphenicol acetyltransferase ( CAT) reporter gene. The plasmid pBLCAT6 carrying the promoter and reporter gene was used to transfect HeLa cells to study the regulation of 11β-HSD1 gene expression by glucocorticoids in terms of reporter gene expression. Results: PCR showed that there was a complete alignment of the amplified sequence with the sequence 1. 2 kb upstream to the transcription start site of 11β-HSD1 gene. When cloned into pBLCAT6 plasmid carrying the reporter gene, this part of the promoter is functional in terms of regulation of reporter gene expression upon transfection into HeLa cells. The synthetic glucocorticoid-dexamethasone induced the reporter gene expression in the system described above, which was blocked by glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486. Conclusion: Glucocorticoids can modulate the expression of 11β-HSD1 through a mechanism involving activation of GR and interaction of the promoter of 11β-HSD1 gene.
