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.
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).
Velzing-Aarts
Francien V
FV
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Groningen University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. f.a.muskiet@lab.azg.nl
Muskiet
Frits A J
FA
van der Dijs
Fey P L
FP
Duits
Ashley J
AJ
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
D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014841:von Willebrand Factor