Comparison of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor levels between preterm and term births

Preterm birth (PTB) is the major obstetric problem in developed countries, accounting for the majority of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a hematopoietic cytokine that mediates the increase in leukocytes in pregnancy and may play a role in placentation. We aimed to investigate the differences of serum G-CSF levels between subsequent spontaneous PTB and term-delivered healthy pregnant women.

Serum samples, collected from total of 600 singleton otherwise healthy pregnants at 24-28 weeks of gestation during a routine antenatal visit, were used to assess G-CSF levels; 40 of the total pregnants who delivered their infants spontaneously after preterm labor before 37 weeks of gestation were selected as the study group. Also, 120 pregnants were selected as a control group using a 1/3 ratio. Student's t-test, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-tests, and ROC curve analysis for prediction of PTB were used for the comparison of groups. P<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

There was no significant difference in maternal serum G-CSF levels between the study and control groups (p=0.28) but maternal white blood cell (WBC) count was significantly different between them (p=0.00). In addition, G-CSF was insufficient in the prediction of PTB (AUC=0.419). In the preterm and term groups, no correlation was found between WBC and G-CSF (p=0.165 vs. p=0.703).

There were no differences in serum levels of G-CSF between term- and preterm-delivered pregnants. There was no predictive role for serum G-CSF in PTB.