Regulation of inflammation during gestation and birth outcomes: Inflammatory cytokine balance predicts birth weight and length.

Consistent with the idea that the relative balance of cytokines with pro- and anti-inflammatory effects is a key regulator of inflammation in pregnancy, the IL6:IL10 ratio, but neither cytokine on its own, predicted offspring birth outcomes. Our findings suggest that prior reports of association between CRP and fetal growth may reflect, in part, the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and that the gestational environment is significantly shaped by cytokine imbalance.