The clinical value of assaying maternal serum and amniotic fluid intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in cases of premature rupture of membranes

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression and upregulation indu ced by pro-inflammatory cytokines may be of interest in defining human resp onse to inflammation and infection. This study was initiated to determine t he levels of ICAM-1 in sera and amniotic fluid of cases of premature ruptur e of membranes (PROM). Serum and amniotic fluid ICAM-1 levels were determin ed by ELISA in 33 cases of FROM and 10 cases of normal pregnancies of match ed gestational age (controls). Both serum and amniotic fluid ICAM levels we re significantly elevated in 76% and 85% of cases of PROM with mean fold in crements of 3.13 and 3.95, respectively. This elevation was associated with intra-amniotic infection which was detected by microbiological culture; an d histophathological evidence of chorioamnionitis. Increased ICAM-1 in case s of FROM may be attributed to neutrophil activation and ICAM-1 expression on fetal membranes and mononuclear cells of amniotic fluid, These results d emonstrate that determination of ICAM-1 may be a valuable biomarker for ear ly detection of acute chorioamnionitis and the possibility of PROM. (C) 199 8 Academic Press.