title: Maternal serum interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in preterm labor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To find out whether preterm labor is associated with raised maternal serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and whether the measurement of these cytokines can be used to detect early intrauterine infection in preterm labor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study: 77 women in preterm labor, 47 controls of healthy preterm women not in labor and 19 women in term labor. The serum cytokines levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The newborns of women who were in labor were followed up for evidence of infection. Differences between groups were tested using analysis of variance, Student's t-test and chi2-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the concentration of all the cytokines measured between the different groups. No statistical difference was found in the concentration of the cytokines between women in preterm labor with ruptured membranes and those with intact membranes. There was also no difference found in the concentration of cytokines between women whose newborns had positive bacterial culture and those with negative culture. There was a positive correlation between the concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were not increased in preterm labor compared to normal control women. There is doubt regarding the usefulness of maternal serum measurement of these cytokines for the detection of early fetal infection in preterm labor, but this needs further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.abahar2@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bahar
authors.forename: Hashim W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ghalib
authors.forename: Riyad A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Moosa
authors.forename: Zaki M S
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.forename: Chet
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Osman A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Nabri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma