title: High serum interleukin-8 levels in afro-caribbean women with pre-eclampsia. Relations with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, duffy negative phenotype and von Willebrand factor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pre-eclampsia is characterized by neutrophil activation. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a strong neutrophil chemo-attractant and activator.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured serum IL-8 in 13 pre-eclamptic Afro-Caribbean women and 13 gestational age-, race- and parity-matched normotensive and non-proteinuric controls. We also determined serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), the phenotypes of the IL-8 binding Duffy blood group antigen receptor and the von Willebrand factor (vWF) plasma levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum IL-8, TNF-alpha, Duffy negative phenotype frequency and plasma vWF were higher in pre-eclamptic women compared with controls. IL-8 correlated positively with both TNF-alpha and vWF in the entire study group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher IL-8 levels in pre-eclampsia may result from increased production (secondary to increased TNF-alpha levels) and/or reduced clearance (related to a high frequency of Duffy negative phenotype).
authors.affiliation: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Groningen University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. f.a.muskiet@lab.azg.nl
authors.forename: Francien V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Velzing-Aarts
authors.forename: Frits A J
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Muskiet
authors.forename: Fey P L
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: van der Dijs
authors.forename: Ashley J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Duits
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014841:von Willebrand Factor