Author Correction: Antenatal IL-1-dependent inflammation persists postnatally and causes retinal and sub-retinal vasculopathy in progeny.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Antenatal IL-1-dependent inflammation persists postnatally and causes retinal and sub-retinal vasculopathy in progeny.

Antenatal inflammation as seen with chorioamnionitis is harmful to foetal/neonatal organ development including to eyes. Although the major pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß participates in retinopathy induced by hyperoxia (a predisposing factor to retinopathy of prematurity), the specific role of antenatal IL-1ß associated with preterm birth (PTB) in retinal vasculopathy (independent of hyperoxia) is unknown. Using a murine model of PTB induced with IL-1ß injection in utero, we studied consequent retinal and choroidal vascular development; in this process we evaluated the efficacy of IL-1R antagonists. Eyes of foetuses exposed only to IL-1ß displayed high levels of pro-inflammatory genes, and a persistent postnatal infiltration of inflammatory cells. This prolonged inflammatory response was associated with: (1) a marked delay in retinal vessel growth; (2) long-lasting thinning of the choroid; and (3) long-term morphological and functional alterations of the retina. Antenatal administration of IL-1R antagonists - 101.10 (a modulator of IL-1R) more so than Kineret (competitive IL-1R antagonist) - prevented all deleterious effects of inflammation. This study unveils a key role for IL-1ß, a major mediator of chorioamnionitis, in causing sustained ocular inflammation and perinatal vascular eye injury, and highlights the efficacy of antenatal 101.10 to suppress deleterious inflammation.

Preterm Birth and Neonatal Injuries: Importance of Interleukin-1 and Potential of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonists.

Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide, and surviving infants are at increased risks of lifelong complications. PTB has been firmly linked to inflammation regardless of infection, specific aetiology or timing of birth. Deleterious inflammation is observed in maternal and fetal tissue, and correlates with the severity of perinatal complications. At present, PTB is treated with tocolytics as though it is exclusively a myometrial contractile disorder. These agents do not address underlying inflammatory processes and are thus vastly ineffective at improving neonatal outcomes. Of all inflammatory mediators, IL-1 is central to the pathophysiology of PTB and most adverse neonatal outcomes. We thus present herein a review of the various effects of IL-1 in utero, with a brief overview of its mechanism of action. We then discuss the potential of different IL-1-targeting agents based on pre-clinical testing in relevant models of PTB and neonatal inflammatory injuries.