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Amniotic fluid interleukin-1 in spontaneous labor at term
R Romero1, S T Parvizi, E Oyarzun
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
The Journal of Reproductive Medicine
|March 1, 1990
Summary
Interleukin-1 (IL-1) may signal the onset of labor. Amniotic fluid from women in labor showed higher IL-1 activity, suggesting inflammation plays a role in parturition.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Regulatory signals for prostaglandin biosynthesis during parturition remain unclear.
- Interleukin-1 (IL-1) stimulates prostaglandin production and mediates inflammation.
- IL-1 is hypothesized to signal labor onset, particularly with intrauterine infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between spontaneous term labor and Interleukin-1 (IL-1) activity in amniotic fluid.
- To determine if IL-1 levels change during uncomplicated term labor.
Main Methods:
- Amniotic fluid samples were collected from 41 women in labor and 39 non-laboring women at term.
- Immunodetectable IL-1 beta levels were measured.
- IL-1-like bioactivity was assessed using bioassays at multiple dilutions.
Main Results:
- Immunodetectable IL-1 beta was found in a greater proportion of women in labor (22/41) compared to those not in labor (8/39).
- Amniotic fluid from laboring women exhibited significantly higher IL-1 bioactivity at dilutions of 1:12, 1:36, and 1:108.
- Bioassay and immunoassay results showed a significant correlation.
Conclusions:
- Amniotic fluid contains inhibitors of IL-1 bioactivity.
- An inflammatory process involving IL-1 may contribute to the initiation of parturition in some women at term.
- These findings suggest a potential role for IL-1 in the complex signaling pathways of human labor.