Chorioamnionitis decreased incidence of respiratory distress syndrome by elevating fetal interleukin-6 serum concentration.
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of newborns is one of the most important factors determining neonatal morbidity and mortality. The interleukin-6 (IL-6) titre in cord sera of RDS-free neonates born to mothers with histological chorioamnionitis was significantly higher than that in RDS-complicated neonates without chorioamnionitis. Maternal administration of glucocorticoid suppressed the IL-6 concentrations in the cord sera of fetuses with chorioamnionitis. The fetuses without chorioamnionitis who suffered from RDS even after maternal glucocorticoid administration showed a similar IL-6 titre to that of RDS-affected neonates without chorioamnionitis. Examination of the mechanism by which IL-6 decreased the incidence of fetal RDS revealed that H441-4, a human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line, stimulated with recombinant (r)-IL-6 started the synthesis of mRNA and protein of pulmonary surfactant protein (SP)-A. The present study shows that IL-6 elevation in fetuses with chorioamnionitis promotes fetal lung maturation by inducing SP-A synthesis, thereby decreasing the incidence of RDS in the preterm neonates.
Shimoya
K
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Osaka University, Suita-city, Japan. shimoya@gyne.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Taniguchi
T
T
Matsuzaki
N
N
Moriyama
A
A
Murata
Y
Y
Kitajima
H
H
Fujimura
M
M
Nakayama
M
M
D002460:Cell Line; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*
D016207:Cytokines; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011510:Proteolipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants