THE ROLE OF CYTOKINES IN CERVICAL RIPENING - CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THECONCENTRATIONS OF CYTOKINES AND HYALURONIC-ACID IN CERVICAL-MUCUS ANDTHE INDUCTION OF HYALURONIC-ACID PRODUCTION BY INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINESBY HUMAN CERVICAL FIBROBLASTS

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study was (1) to explain the relationsh ip between levels of inflammatory cytokines and levels of hyaluronic a cid in cervical mucus of pregnant women and (2) to investigate whether cytokines promote hyaluronic acid production by human cervical fibrob lasts in vitro. STUDY DESIGN: The concentration of hyaluronic acid, in terleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-8 were measured in cervical mucus of pregnant women, and hyaluronic acid production by cytokine-treated (i nterleukin-1 beta and interleukin-8) cultured fibroblasts was measured . RESULTS: Hyaluronic acid concentrations in the mucus of pregnant wom en with threatened premature labor were higher than in mucus of normal pregnant women (P<.05). Correlations were found between hyaluronic ac id concentrations and interleukin-l beta (P=.018) and interleukin-8 (P =.003) concentrations in cervical mucus. Cytokines (especially interle ukin-8) stimulated hyaluronic acid production by cultured cervical fib roblasts. CONCLUSION: Cytokines induce hyaluronic acid production by h uman cervical fibroblasts, which may promote cervical ripening.