MATERNAL AND UMBILICAL-CORD SERUM INTERLEUKIN LEVELS IN PRETERM LABORWITH CLINICAL CHORIOAMNIONITIS

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether interleukin-1 beta, in terleukin-6, and the soluble receptor for interleukin-2 levels in mate rnal and umbilical cord sera differed among patients with and without clinical chorioamnionitis delivered prematurely. STUDY DESIGN: Between February and November 1992, 32 women who were delivered between 20 an d 36 weeks' gestation were enrolled in a prospective study to determin e the levels of interleukin-1 beta, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, an d interleukin-6 in maternal and umbilical cord serum. Cytokines were m easured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chorioamnionitis was ide ntified by the presence of clinical markers in 12 patients. RESULTS: S oluble interleukin-2 receptor concentrations in maternal serum were si gnificantly higher in women with clinical chorioamnionitis than in tho se without chorioamnionitis (median 400 U/ml, range 100 to 2100 U/ml v s median 275 U/ml, range 100 to 1300 U/ml, p < 0.04). Umbilical cord i nterleukin-6 concentrations were significantly higher in the presence of clinical chorioamnionitis than in the absence of chorioamnionitis ( median 12.5 pg/ml, range 0 to 400 pg/ml vs median 0 pg/ml, range 0 to 25 pg/ml; P < 0.02). For patients with clinical chorioamnionitis there was a positive correlation between maternal and umbilical cord IL-2 r eceptor levels (r = 0.752, p < 0.01). No significant differences in ma ternal interleukin-1 beta or maternal interleukin-6 determinations wer e noted. Likewise, the umbilical cord interleukin-1 beta and IL-2 rece ptor concentrations were unchanged in the presence of clinical chorioa mnionitis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that for patients with preterm labor and clinical chorioamnionitis, maternal serum levels of IL-2 receptor, and umbilical cord serum levels of interleukin-6 are s ignificantly increased compared with patients without chorioamnionitis .