LEUKEMIA INHIBITORY FACTOR - ASSOCIATION WITH INTRAAMNIOTIC INFECTION

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate whether leukemia inhibitory factor is associated with intraamniotic infection. STUDY DESIGN: A com parative clinical study of amniotic fluid leukemia inhibitory factor c oncentrations was performed. RESULTS: Leukemia inhibitory factor was u ndetectable (<1 ng/ml) by radioreceptor assay during normal pregnancy at midtrimester and at term. Among women in labor those with intraamni otic infection had higher leukemia factor concentrations than those wi thout infection before term (p < 0.001) and at term (p < 0.005). The l eukemia inhibitory factor concentrations correlated with the amniotic fluid white blood cell counts (r = 0.47) (p < 0.001). In cultured huma n gestational tissue explants, leukemia inhibitory factor release was significantly enhanced by endotoxin, interleukin-1 alpha, and tumor ne crosis factor-alpha however, leukemia inhibitory factor did not enhanc e the release of prostaglandin E(2) by these tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Amn iotic fluid leukemia inhibitory factor concentrations were elevated du ring intraamniotic infection and gestational tissues released leukemia inhibitory factor in response to bacterial products and inflammatory mediators.