title: A clinical randomized trial on endocervical inflammatory cytokines and betamethasone in prime-gravid pregnant women at risk of preterm labor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are strong evidences suggesting the secretion of different cytokines in cervical fluid during preterm labor. Betamethasone is widely administered for several reasons in preterm conditions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To Investigate the possible effect of betamethasone on endocervical cytokine concentration of women at risk of preterm labor.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized clinical trial of 80 prime-gravid women in preterm labor between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation, cervical fluids were collected. Endocervical concentration of inflammatory cytokines were analyzed before and 48 hours after betamethasone treatment for the evaluation of IL-8, IL-17, IFN-γ and TGF-β. Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were employed for statistical analysis. χ2 and Student's t tests were used whenever needed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the measured cytokines showed significant changes in the betamethasone treated group. IL-17 (p=0.001), IL-8 (p=0.001), and IFN-γ (p<0.05) decreased significantly, while TGF-β had a significant increase (p<0.05). In the patients who delivered before or on the 7th day of admission, IL-17, IL-8, and IFN-γ levels were all significantly higher. However, TGF-β decreased significantly in the same samples in the betamethasone treated group (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Betamethasone significantly decreases the endocervical pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in patients with preterm labor.
authors.affiliation: Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Research Center and Breastfeeding Research Center; Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, e-mail: Hantoushzadeh@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Soghra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khazardoust
authors.forename: Pouya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Javadian
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salmanian
authors.forename: Farnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zandevakil
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abbasalizadeh
authors.forename: Shohreh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alimohamadi
authors.forename: Sedigheh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borna
authors.forename: Tooba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghazanfari
authors.forename: Sedigheh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hantoushzadeh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D001623:Betamethasone