Maternal cytokine response after SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy

Objective: Dysregulation of the immune system during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recent studies report cytokine changes during the acute phase of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We examine whether there is a lasting association between SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and peripheral blood cytokine levels. Study design: We conducted a case-control study at the Mount Sinai health system in NYC including 100 SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody positive people matched to 100 SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody negative people on age, race/ethnicity, parity, and insurance status. Blood samples were collected at a median gestational age of 34 weeks. Levels of 14 cytokines were measured. Results: Individual cytokine levels and cytokine cluster Eigenvalues did not differ significantly between groups, indicating no persisting maternal cytokine changes after SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the acute inflammatory response after SARS-CoV-2 infection may be restored to normal values during pregnancy. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.