title: Interleukin-6 levels in umbilical artery serum in normal and abnormal pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to determine the correlation of abnormal umbilical artery interleukin-6 levels with pregnancies complicated by preterm delivery and pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cord serum (umbilical artery) was collected at delivery by cesarean section or spontaneous delivery. Samples were retrieved from patients with normal and abnormal pregnancies. Patients were divided into three groups: group 1, a control group of samples from uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 24); group 2, patients with pre-eclampsia (n = 21); and group 3, patients having had preterm delivery (n = 29). Interleukin-6 was measured by bioassays. Statistics were performed with the Mann-Whitney U-, Student's t- and the Kruskal-Wallis tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interleukin-6 levels in women with preterm delivery were statistically higher compared to those of normal pregnancies (P < 0.05) and lower in the cord serum of pre-eclamptic when compared to those of normal pregnancies (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, we believe that further investigations could elucidate the role of this pleiotropic cytokine in both, normal and pathologic reproductive biology, and determine the clinical utility of IL-6 measurements in obstetric practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galazios
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papazoglou
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Giagloglou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vassaras
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maltezos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anastasiadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008423:Maternal Age; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6