title: Lipopolysaccharide binding protein in the early diagnosis of intraamniotic infection of pregnant women with premature rupture of the membranes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) level is an early marker of intraamniotic infection in pregnant women with premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) and compare it to C-reactive protein (CRP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two pregnant women with PROM were included in the study if remained undelivered for more than 24 h. CRP and LBP concentrations were determined in 12-h-intervals and the last value before delivery was correlated with obstetrical data and placenta histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LBP concentrations ranged from 1.6 to 48.7 microg/mL (median of 16 microg/mL) and CRP concentrations from 0.02 to 6.8 mg/dL (0.64 mg/dL). CRP was significantly elevated when full blown chorioamnionitis was proven by histology (P<0.01) and when the neonates had to be admitted to the intensive care unit because of suspected infection (P<0.05 mg/dL). There were significantly higher LBP levels when fetal tachycardia occurred (20.3 vs. 14.5 microg/mL, P<0.05) and when intraamniotic infection was diagnosed by histology (22.8 vs. 14.1 microg/mL, P<0.005), but the differences were too little to provide prognostic cut-off values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increase of LBP and CRP levels after PROM seem to reflect intramniotic infection, but no cut-off values could be defined for the prediction of intraamniotic infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. frank.chen@charité.de
authors.forename: Frank C K
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nannette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarioglu
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Büscher
authors.forename: Joachim W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Dudenhausen
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000328:Adult; D000650:Amnion; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein