title: Maternal serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-2 receptor in threatened abortion: a comparison with normal and pathologic pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor levels in patients with threatened abortion and compared the levels with normal and pathologic pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, nonrandomized, case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic research setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients with threatened abortion, 18 patients with pathologic pregnancies, 20 healthy pregnant women, and 20 nonpregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternal serum TNF-alpha and IL-2 receptor levels were measured with a solid-phase, two-site chemiluminescent enzyme immunometric assay method.
  
  
  METHODS
  TNF-alpha and IL-2 receptor levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean +/- SEM maternal serum IL-2 receptor level for patients with threatened abortion was 481.3 +/- 35.7 U/mL, compared with 426.5 +/- 22.4 U/mL in the normal pregnant group. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean +/- SEM serum TNF-alpha level between the patients with threatened abortion and those with normal pregnancies (16.1 +/- 2.7 pg/mL vs. 10.9 +/- 0.8 pg/mL). The mean +/- SEM maternal serum IL-2 receptor level was significantly higher in patients with pathologic pregnancies than in those with normal pregnancies (506.2 +/- 27.6 U/mL vs. 426.5 +/- 22.4 U/mL). The mean +/- SEM maternal serum TNF-alpha level was significantly higher in patients with pathologic pregnancies than in those with threatened abortion (39.2 +/- 9.5 pg/mL vs. 16.1 +/- 2.7 pg/mL) and normal pregnancies (39.2 +/- 9.5 pg/mL vs. 10.9 +/- 0.8 pg/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison with normal pregnancies, maternal serum IL-2 receptor and TNF-alpha levels were not significantly increased in patients with threatened abortion with good outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey. fgucer@yahoo.com
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gücer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balkanli-Kaplan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Sayin
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yüce
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yardim
mesh_terms: D000033:Abortion, Threatened / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha