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Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Amniotic fluid interleukin 6 in preterm labor. Association with infection
R Romero1, C Avila, U Santhanam
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation
|May 1, 1990
Summary
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in amniotic fluid indicates intrauterine infection and preterm labor. Elevated IL-6 levels may help diagnose and predict pregnancy outcomes, guiding clinical management.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Immunology
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Intrauterine infection is a significant cause of preterm labor and adverse neonatal outcomes.
- The role of specific inflammatory mediators, such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), in the host response to intrauterine infection requires further elucidation.
- Amniotic fluid (AF) provides a direct window into the intrauterine environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and significance of IL-6 bioactivity and isoforms in amniotic fluid during pregnancy.
- To determine if IL-6 levels correlate with intraamniotic infection and preterm labor.
- To explore the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of AF IL-6 in managing preterm labor.
Main Methods:
- IL-6 levels were measured using hepatocyte stimulating factor and SDS-PAGE/immunoblot assays in 205 amniotic fluid samples.
- Samples were collected from pregnant women at midtrimester, term without labor, term in active labor, and preterm labor.
- Decidual tissue explants were stimulated with bacterial endotoxin to assess IL-6 production.
Main Results:
- Significantly higher AF IL-6 levels were found in women with preterm labor and intraamniotic infection compared to those without infection (P < 0.0001).
- Specific IL-6 isoforms (23-25 and 28-30 kD) were detected in AF from patients with intraamniotic infection.
- Elevated AF IL-6 concentrations were associated with failure to respond to tocolytic treatment and delivery of premature neonates.
Conclusions:
- IL-6 plays a crucial role in the host's inflammatory response to intrauterine infection.
- AF IL-6 levels demonstrate diagnostic and prognostic value in women experiencing preterm labor.
- Measurement of AF IL-6 may aid in clinical decision-making and management of preterm labor.
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