Elevations of amniotic fluid macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha concentrations in women during term and preterm labor.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether elevated concentrations of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) in amniotic fluid (AF) are related to term and preterm labor.


METHODS
Amniotic fluid was obtained from women from five different clinical situations: 1) term cesarean delivery, no labor (n = 29); 2) normal term labor, no infection (n = 36); 3) preterm labor, delivery more than 1 week from sampling, no infection (n = 19); 4) preterm labor, delivery within 1 week from sampling, no infection (n = 18); and 5) preterm chorioamnionitis (n = 8). Amniotic fluid was collected aseptically at the time of amniocentesis, amniotomy, or hysterotomy. Concentrations of MIP-1 alpha were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analysis was by Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and unpaired t test.


RESULTS
Women in normal term labor had significant elevations of AF MIP-1 alpha concentrations when compared with women at term undergoing repeat cesarean delivery (P < .001). In women with term gestation, AF MIP-1 alpha correlated well with cervical dilation (r2 = 0.479, P < .001). In women with preterm labor who later delivered within 1 week of presentation, AF MIP-1 alpha concentrations were higher than those from women who did not deliver within 1 week. Women who presented with clinically evident chorioamnionitis had the highest concentrations of AF MIP-1 alpha (P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Women in labor have significantly elevated AF concentrations of MIP-1 alpha, particularly if labor is associated with intrauterine infection. We suggest that MIP-1 alpha is involved in the physiology of normal labor and in the pathogenesis of infection-associated preterm labor.
Dudley
D J
DJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA.
Hunter
C
C
Mitchell
M D
MD
Varner
M W
MW
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000378:metabolism*; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins; D015846:Monokines / Q000032:analysis*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D016207:Cytokines; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins; D015846:Monokines