Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41988233›Full record

ArticleRevista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia2026

Association of maternal IL-2, IL-4, and IL-13 with intrauterine growth restriction and umbilical artery doppler: a case-control study.

Bahareh Mousavi Afshar, Roghayeh Dargahi, Shervin Tabrizian, Maryam Jafarzadeh, Sajad Sarkhani, Nasrin Sarkhani

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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3 · Its place in the literature

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Bahareh Mousavi AfsharArdabil University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetric Ardabil Iran Department of Gynecology and Obstetric, School of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6134-1008
Roghayeh DargahiArdabil University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetric Ardabil Iran Department of Gynecology and Obstetric, School of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8650-7253
Shervin TabrizianArdabil University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetric Ardabil Iran Department of Gynecology and Obstetric, School of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9657-4652
Maryam JafarzadehAzad University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine Tehran Iran School of Medicine, Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3731-7414
Sajad SarkhaniAzad University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine Tehran Iran School of Medicine, Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1372-6269
Nasrin SarkhaniArdabil University of Medical Sciences Fatemi Hospital Department of Pathology Ardabil Iran Department of Pathology, Fatemi Hospital, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1992-7502

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Maternal pro-inflammatory responses have been implicated in pregnancy complications. This study examined the association of maternal serum IL-2, IL-4, and IL-13 levels with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and umbilical artery Doppler indices. Methods: This case-control study was conducted at Alavi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Ardabil, Iran, from August 2024 to June 2025. Sixty singleton pregnant women (30 with IUGR and 30 with normal pregnancies) between 28-36 weeks of gestation were included. Umbilical artery resistive (RI) and pulsatility (PI) indices were assessed by a single sonographer, and serum cytokine levels were measured using ELISA. Statistical analyses (t-test, chi-square, Pearson's correlation, logistic regression) were performed with SPSS v25. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences (no. 1403.049). Results: Compared with controls, the IUGR group had higher IL-2 and lower IL-4 and IL-13 levels, as well as increased PI and RI (all P<0.05). Elevated IL-2 (OR=1.027; 95%CI: 1.011-1.044; P=0.001) and reduced IL-4 (OR=0.963; 95%CI: 0.929-0.999; P=0.042) and IL-13 (OR=0.978; 95%CI: 0.962-0.995; P=0.009) were independently associated with IUGR. IL-2 correlated positively, while IL-4 and IL-13 correlated negatively, with both Doppler indices (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Pregnant women with IUGR exhibited a pro-inflammatory Th1-biased cytokine profile, characterized by increased IL-2 and decreased IL-4 and IL-13, which correlated with elevated umbilical vascular resistance. These findings suggest an immunologic contribution to placental dysfunction. However, given the observational design and small sample size, causal inferences cannot be made, and confirmation in larger multicenter studies is warranted.

Indexed as

Fetal Growth RetardationInterleukin-13Interleukin-2Interleukin-4Umbilical ArteriesAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansPregnancyUltrasonography, DopplerYoung AdultIL4 protein, humanInterleukin-13Interleukin-2Interleukin-4Fetal growth retardationInterleukin-13Interleukin-2Interleukin-4PregnancyPrenatal diagnosisUltrasonography, dopplerUltrasonography, prenatalUmbilical arteries

Identifiers

PMID41988233
PMCPMC13078515

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.