Changes in leukocyte, granulocyte and lymphocyte counts following antenatal betamethasone administration to pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
Preterm labor and premature rupture of membranes are associated with a mild leukocytosis. However, we have observed a higher maternal leukocyte count after antenatal betamethasone therapy. We planned this study to evaluate the effects of antenatal betamethasone treatment on maternal leukocyte, granulocyte and lymphocyte count.


METHODS
Forty-six pregnant women with the diagnosis of preterm labor between 28 and 33 weeks of gestation age received 12 mg betamethasone at a 12-h interval. The control group consisted of 50 pregnant women between 28 and 33 weeks of gestational age with no medical or obstetrics problems. After a baseline venous sampling, serial leukocyte, granulocyte and lymphocyte counts were obtained every 6 h until it returned to baseline value.


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences in the control group with respect to the total leukocyte, lymphocyte, and neutrophil count. Total leukocyte and granulocyte counts were increased by 29.8% and 17.8% within 24 and 12 h after betamethasone injection, respectively (P < 0.01). A significant reduction in lymphocyte count was observed within 12 h (45.4%) after betamethasone injection (P < 0.01). All changes in leukocyte, granulocyte and lymphocyte counts returned to baseline values within 3 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Antenatal betamethasone therapy leads to an increase in maternal leukocyte count and a decrease in lymphocyte count. This effect is transient and any leukocytosis persisting for more than 3 days is not due to betamethasone administration.
Kadanali
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Atatürk, Erzurum, Turkey.
Ingeç
M
M
Küçüközkan
T
T
Börekçi
B
B
Kumtepe
Y
Y
D001623:Betamethasone / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001623:Betamethasone