Global gene expression profiling in human cervical fibroblasts in the absence or presence of progesterone and/or interleukin-1 beta.

Preterm birth is an important unsolved clinical problem. Despite advanced treatments, infants who survive prematurity remain at increased risk for permanent disabilities. In approximately one-third of cases, prematurity is related to infection and/or inflammation, which renders hostile the normally receptive intrauterine environment. Proinflammatory cytokines provoke up-regulation of genes that promote uterine contractions. Using monolayer cultures of human cervical fibroblast cells as a model, we profiled the global pattern of gene expression in response to cytokine challenge. Using monolayer cultures of human cervical fibroblasts as a model, we profiled the global pattern of gene expression in response to progesterone in the absense or presence of cytokine (interleukin-1 beta) challenge. The cells were subjected to total RNA extraction, quantification, and evaluation, followed by hybridization on Affymetrix Human Transcriptome 2.0 arrays (Platform GPL17586). Three biological replicates were used (12 total samples).