title: Endothelin-1,2 levels are increased in the amniotic fluid of women with preterm labor and microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gestational age, labor, and microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity on amniotic fluid concentrations of endothelin-1,2. Amniotic fluid was retrieved by amniocentesis from 148 women: patients at term with and without labor, patients with preterm labor with and without intraamniotic infection, and women in the second trimester of pregnancy. Endothelin-1,2 was measured by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. Immunoreactive endothelin-1,2 was detectable in all samples of human amniotic fluid. Advancing gestational age and spontaneous term labor did not result in changes in amniotic fluid concentrations of endothelin-1,2. Women with preterm labor and positive amniotic fluid cultures for microorganisms had higher amniotic fluid concentrations of endothelin-1,2 than did those without microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (p less than 0.05). These results support a role for endothelins in the mechanisms responsible for preterm delivery associated with intraamniotic infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Avila
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Edwin
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000650:Amnion / Q000382:microbiology*; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D016232:Endothelins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D015145:Tocolysis
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins