{
  "abstract": "Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is a major cause of spontaneous preterm birth, yet the cellular mechanisms linking inflammation to membrane dysfunction remain incompletely understood. Here, we integrated single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomic datasets from multiple maternal-fetal interface tissues to construct a comprehensive atlas of inflammatory signaling during early pregnancy. Macrophages emerged as the predominant source of basal inflammatory activity, and secondary clustering identified a conserved EREG+IL1RN+ macrophages characterized by elevated inflammatory and innate immune programs. Pseudotime analysis revealed a transcriptional progression from proliferative and immunoregulatory macrophage states toward inflammatory and immune-effector states, with EREG+IL1RN+ macrophages exhibiting a distinct transcriptional profile. Independent single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomic datasets confirmed the transcriptional and spatial conservation of this population. In placental infection datasets, EREG+IL1RN+ macrophages were markedly expanded and enriched for cytokine signaling, leukocyte recruitment, and extracellular matrix remodeling pathways. WTAP, an m6A-associated candidate regulator, was positively associated with inflammatory macrophage programs, and its depletion attenuated inflammatory gene expression while promoting immunity hub-associated signatures. Clinically, the EREG+IL1RN+ macrophage signature was significantly enriched in PPROM fetal membranes and showed the strongest ability to distinguish PPROM from preterm labor controls. Together, these findings identify EREG+IL1RN+ macrophages as a conserved inflammatory macrophage program and implicate WTAP in inflammatory macrophage remodeling at the maternal-fetal interface.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "epartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Meng Zheng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qiulan Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaowei Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ping Yuan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tongtong Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Haihong Wang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4w4zrmhm849t3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fcell.2026.1903568",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2026.1903568/full",
  "id": "4w4zrmhm849t3",
  "issns": [
    "2296-634X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2026.1903568",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "QH301-705.5"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2713|Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224100808",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2026.1903568/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-28",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media S.A.",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4w4zrmhm849t3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T14:22:03Z",
      "native_id": "11b2014239e846cf9f0d8b1ef350889a",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2026.1903568"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2713|Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A conserved EREG+IL1RN+ macrophage program defines an inflammation-associated transcriptional state linked to WTAP reprogramming and preterm premature rupture of membranes",
  "title_text": "A conserved EREG+IL1RN+ macrophage program defines an inflammation-associated transcriptional state linked to WTAP reprogramming and preterm premature rupture of membranes",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-31T14:22:03Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4w4zrmhm849t3",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology",
  "versions": []
}