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The role of nuclear factor kappa B in human labour

Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, 3^rd Floor IRDB, Hammersmith Campus, Imperial College, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom

Correspondence should be addressed to T M Lindström; Email: t.lindstrom{at}imperial.ac.uk

Preterm birth remains the leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity, largely as a result of a poor understanding of the precise mechanisms controlling labour onset in humans. Inflammation has long been recognised as a key feature of both preterm and term labour, with an influx of inflammatory cells into the uterus and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines observed during parturition. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) is a transcription factor family classically associated with inflammation. Accumulating evidence points to a role for NF-B in the physiology and pathophysiology of labour. NF-B activity increases with labour onset and is central to multiple prolabour pathways. Premature or aberrant activation of NF-B may thus contribute to preterm labour. The current understanding of NF-B in the context of human labour is discussed here.

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