title: [Clinical significance and intervention study of serum interleukin 18 in preeclampsia patients with coexisting obstructive sleep apnea].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of IL-18 in the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)-induced preeclampsia (PE), by comparison of the changes of serum IL-18 levels among different groups as well as before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in pregnant women with both OSAS and PE.
  
  
  METHODS
  In control group there were 18 normal pregnant women with apnea hypopnea index (AHI) < 5. In simple PE group 18 pregnant PE patients with an AHI < 5 were recruited. In PE plus OSAS group 16 PE patients with coexisting OSAS were collected. CPAP treatment was performed for 1 week in 6 patients with AHI > 15 from PE plus OSAS group.Serum IL-18 levels were measured with ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference in serum IL-18 levels among control group [(261 ± 95) ng/L], simple PE group [(382 ± 121) ng/L], and PE plus OSAS group [(601 ± 89) ng/L, all P < 0.001]. Following CPAP treatment, there was a significant decrease in AHI, systolic blood pressures, and serum IL-18 levels, but a significant increase in minimal SpO₂ (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated that serum IL-18 levels in PE patients with OSAS were significantly elevated, which suggested that OSAS might increase the incidence of PE by enhancing inflammatory response, while CPAP treatment could effectively improve the pathological process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Changzhou 213000, China.
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xi-long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Zhi-gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-chuan
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: Jiu-jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18