Influence of Gestational Hormones on the Bacteria-Induced Cytokine Response in Periodontitis

Figure 2

Time course of pregnancy hormones, periodontal disease, and the proinflammatory cytokine MIF. During early gestation, hormones are produced in the corpus luteum, and later until the end of gestation, they are produced in the placenta. Estriol is also synthesized in the placenta, and its production ceases when the pregnancy reaches term. Therefore, embryo implantation and early gestation require a Th1 profile with the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. During the second half of gestation, the expression of these cytokines decreases, and the profile is a Th2 and Treg cell profile, which is maintained until delivery, when the profile returns to a Th1 profile. The expression of MIF, which is a proinflammatory cytokine, maintains this trend during pregnancy. Created with BioRender.com (https://biorender.com/).