title: Mid-trimester amniotic fluid concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein in normal pregnancies: a prospective evaluation according to parity, gestational age, and fetal gender.
abstract: To assess mid-trimester amniotic fluid concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in pregnancies with normal outcome and correlate them with gestational week (GW), parity, and fetal gender.
  
  
  
  Cytokine concentrations were measured within a week of amniocentesis during GW 15+0 to 20+6 and correlated with GW at birth, parity, and fetal gender.
  
  
  
  After exclusion of women with an adverse pregnancy outcome or those lost to follow-up, 273 consecutive patients were evaluated (median parity: 1; range: 0-5). Ranges for IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and LBP were 4.9-2620 pg/mL, 36.2-5843 pg/mL, 8.0-28.2 pg/mL, and 0.06-1.9 μg/mL, respectively. IL-6, IL-8, and LBP values did not respectively differ among time points, but TNF-α values did between the 15(th) and 16(th) and the 15(th) and 18(th) weeks of gestation (P<0.05). No significant correlations between cytokine levels and parity or fetal gender were identified.
  
  
  
  Cytokine concentrations in amniotic fluid during the mid-trimester did not differ with parity or fetal gender. IL-6, IL-8, and LBP levels appeared stable with GW, whereas GW significantly influenced TNF-α concentrations. Further analyses are warranted to establish the role of cytokines in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Charité-University Hospital, Berlin, Germany. christian.bamberg@charite.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bamberg
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fotopoulou
authors.forename: Mattea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: Charles Christoph
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Roehr
authors.forename: Joachim W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Dudenhausen
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Henrich
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kalache
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein; C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human