Maternal and umbilical cord serum interleukin levels in preterm labor with clinical chorioamnionitis.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and the soluble receptor for interleukin-2 levels in maternal and umbilical cord sera differed among patients with and without clinical chorioamnionitis delivered prematurely. STUDY DESIGN: Between February and November 1992, 32 women who were delivered between 20 and 36 weeks' gestation were enrolled in a prospective study to determine the levels of interleukin-1 beta, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and interleukin-6 in maternal and umbilical cord serum. Cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chorioamnionitis was identified by the presence of clinical markers in 12 patients. RESULTS: Soluble interleukin-2 receptor concentrations in maternal serum were significantly higher in women with clinical chorioamnionitis than in those without chorioamnionitis (median 400 U/ml, range 100 to 2100 U/ml vs median 275 U/ml, range 100 to 1300 U/ml, p < 0.04). Umbilical cord interleukin-6 concentrations were significantly higher in the presence of clinical chorioamnionitis than in the absence of chorioamnionitis (median 12.5 pg/ml, range 0 to 400 pg/ml vs median 0 pg/ml, range 0 to 25 pg/ml; p < 0.02). For patients with clinical chorioamnionitis there was a positive correlation between maternal and umbilical cord IL-2 receptor levels (r = 0.752, p < 0.01). No significant differences in maternal interleukin-1 beta or maternal interleukin-6 determinations were noted. Likewise, the umbilical cord interleukin-1 beta and IL-2 receptor concentrations were unchanged in the presence of clinical chorioamnionitis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that for patients with preterm labor and clinical chorioamnionitis, maternal serum levels of IL-2 receptor, and umbilical cord serum levels of interleukin-6 are significantly increased compared with patients without chorioamnionitis.
