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Updated: May 16, 2026
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
[Role of IL-6 for the diagnosis of preterm birth]
Insights
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) reliably detects intra-uterine infection (IUI) in preterm birth (PTB) cases. Elevated IL-6 in cord blood indicates IUI, aiding early diagnosis and treatment decisions for PTB.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatology
- Infectious Diseases
Context:
- Preterm birth (PTB) remains a significant challenge in modern obstetrics, with high rates of extreme prematurity.
- Intra-uterine infection (IUI) is a primary cause of PTB, necessitating early detection and assessment of fetal damage.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the diagnostic reliability of interleukin-6 (IL-6) for detecting IUI and early neonatal infectivity in PTB.
- To compare the efficacy of IL-6 with other infectious markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte (Leu) count.
Summary:
- The study analyzed infectious parameters (Leu, CRP, IL-6) in maternal and newborn blood from women with regular term and PTB.
- IL-6 demonstrated the highest accuracy in detecting IUI compared to CRP and Leu count.
- A significant correlation was found between PTB and elevated IL-6 levels in cord blood (≥ 30 pg/ml, OR=40.09).
Impact:
- IL-6 is identified as a reliable biomarker for IUI in PTB cases.
- Laboratory testing of IL-6 can support crucial therapeutic decisions in managing PTB.
- This research paves the way for improved diagnostic strategies and patient outcomes in preterm birth management.
Abstract:
The preterm birth (PTB) is still a problem for the modern obstetrics, with certainly unsolved questions. Mainly this is associated with the lack of chance to decrease its frequency but also due to the tendency of definite change of its structure--high level of extreme premature state. Intra uterus infection (IUI) is one of the major etiologic reasons for PTB. The early detection of IUI and the determination of the level of fetus damage are the leading therapeutic approach to PTB. The present study includes the test reliability of interleukin-6 (IL-6) to diagnose IUI and early neonatal infectivity. The groups of patients are (A) pregnant women with regular term and (B) pregnant women with PTB, both, with ruptured amniotic membrane or with intact ones. The results of their infectious parameters are determined and analyzed: Leu number, CRP and IL-6 in mother's blood and newborn's blood. It is obvious that the highest percent of IUI is detected by using the blood level of IL-6, followed by CRP and Leu number. The most significant correlation is established between PTB and pathologic levels of IL-6 in cord blood (> or = 30 pg/ml, OR-40.09). In conclusion, we could summarize that IL-6 is a reliable parameter and sign for IUI in cases with PTB. It opens the door to a potential application of its laboratory testing, thus allowing a crucial decision with problematic therapeutic cases, when discussing the PTB.
