The Correlation of SKA2 with Cortisol, IL-1β and Anxiety in Pregnant Women with the Risk of Preterm Delivery

OBJECTIVE: The association between preterm birth (PTB), Spindle and Kinetochore Associated Complex Subunit 2 gene (SKA2), cortisol and anxiety have been shown, but in this study, we aimed to clarify whether the expression of the SKA2 gene plays a role in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) level since increasing level of IL-1β is linked with PTB. METHODS: The case-control study was conducted on 49 and 51 women with preterm and term delivery, respectively. The score of anxiety was ranked according to the Spielberger state trait Anxiety Inventory. The concentration of cortisol and IL-1β was determined by the ELISA method. The expression of SKA2 gene was assessed by the quantitative real time real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The western blot analysis was also performed to confirm the expression of SKA2 at the levels of protein. RESULTS: The results showed that the gene/protein expression of SKA2, the concentrations of cortisol and IL-1β were significantly higher in the preterm than the term group. In the preterm group, the expression of SKA2 was positively correlated to the other factors including cortisol, IL-1β, and the degree of anxiety. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the expression of SKA2 was correlated positively to the levels of cortisol, IL-1β and the rate of anxiety in women with PTB.