AMNIOTIC-FLUID INTERLEUKIN-10 CONCENTRATIONS INCREASE THROUGH PREGNANCY AND ARE ELEVATED IN PATIENTS WITH PRETERM LABOR ASSOCIATED WITH INTRAUTERINE INFECTION

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the role of the antiinflammatory cytok ine interleukin-10 in preterm labor and infection, we evaluated the am niotic fluid interleukin-10 concentrations through pregnancy, in term, and in preterm labor. STUDY DESIGN: Amniotic fluid interleukin-10 lev els were measured in 147 women throughout pregnancy including patients in the second trimester, patients at term with and without labor, and in patients in preterm labor with and without an intrauterine infecti on. We compared the amniotic fluid interleukin-10 concentrations among these five groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Amniotic fl uid interleukin-10 was detected in 70% to 91% of patients in each of t he five study groups. Higher concentrations were found at term compare d with the second trimester (p < 0.001) and concentrations were signif icantly greater in patients with preterm labor and intrauterine infect ion compared with those patients in preterm labor without infection do < 0.001), patients at term in labor (p < 0.001), or patients at term not in labor (p < 0.001). When the patients in preterm labor with infe ction were analyzed by gestational age, those patients at < 30 weeks h ad significantly higher amniotic fluid concentrations of interleukin-1 0 (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Interleukin-10 was present in the amniotic fluid of the majority of pregnancies, with higher concentrations foun d at term compared with the second trimester. Intrauterine infection w as associated with significantly increased concentrations, with even h igher concentrations found in the very premature pregnancies. Interleu kin-10 has a prominent yet undefined role in pregnancy and preterm lab or complicated by intrauterine infection.