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Amniotic fluid interleukin-6 and preterm delivery: a review
A Y El-Bastawissi1, M A Williams, D E Riley
1Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. amira.el-bastawissi@mail.swedish.org
Obstetrics and Gynecology
|May 16, 2000
Summary
Elevated amniotic fluid (AF) interleukin (IL)-6 strongly predicts preterm delivery, even without detectable infection. Further research is needed to understand this association and improve diagnostic methods.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Reproductive Medicine
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Preterm delivery remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality.
- Intra-amniotic infection is a known risk factor for preterm birth.
- The role of specific biomarkers like amniotic fluid interleukin-6 (AF IL-6) in predicting preterm delivery requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the predictive value of AF IL-6 for preterm delivery.
- To investigate the reasons for preterm delivery in women with elevated AF IL-6 but no detectable intra-amniotic infection.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of MEDLINE (1966-1999) and conference abstracts.
- Keywords included "labor/infant," "premature," "cytokines/interleukin-6," and "AF."
- Focused on studies reporting the association between AF IL-6 and preterm delivery.
Main Results:
- Elevated AF IL-6 is a stronger predictor of preterm delivery than infection detected by culture or PCR.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detects intra-amniotic infection more effectively than culture.
- A significant proportion (33-70%) of women with elevated AF IL-6 deliver preterm without evidence of infection.
Conclusions:
- Elevated AF IL-6 is a robust predictor of preterm delivery and warrants clinical consideration.
- Improved PCR-based methods are needed to better understand the link between AF IL-6, infection, and preterm birth.