The correlation between serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels and its gene expression in pregnant women infected with human Metapneumovirus - hMPV: in Najaf Governorate

Background: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a viral respiratory infection that causes acute infections in all ages, including pregnant women, who are one of the most vulnerable. The aim of this study was to analyze immune and genetic responses to hMPV infection during pregnancy. Methods: That’s 338 pregnant women were screened for infection with hMPV. Thirty-six infected women were compared with 36 non-infected controls. Blood samples were assayed for virus-specific IgM and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) protein levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and for IL-1β gene expression by (RT_PCR). Results: The IgM was significantly higher in infected women across all age groups (2.20–3.30 pg/ml) when compared to controls (1.10–1.50 pg/ml, p < 0.001), with large effect sizes (Cohen's d= 1.2–1.5). IL-1β protein levels increased with advancing maternal age and were the highest in the 31–40 age group (15.42 pg/ml) compared to the <20 group (8.35 pg/ml). During trimesters, IL-1β was slightly higher in the third trimester. IL-1β gene expression was significantly elevated in all infected women subgroups, and IL-1β protein level was highly correlated with gene expression (r= +0.88–+0.99, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Elevated IgM and IL-1β levels and increased IL-1β gene expression point toward these markers as potential candidates for immune response and disease severity in hMPV-infected pregnant women. Clarification of these mechanisms will improve diagnosis and direct specific therapeutic interventions.