title: Interleukin-18 and interferon gamma levels in preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between preeclampsia (PE) and circulating interleukin-18 (IL-18) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science) were searched.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven studies with 947 participants reporting IL-18 and 16 studies with 2230 subjects reporting IFN-γ were included. There was no significant difference in the IL-18 levels in PE patients compared with controls. However, IFN-γ was found to be significantly higher in women with PE than that in normotensive pregnant women (standardized mean difference = 0.93; 95% confident interval: 0.07, 1.79). Furthermore, stratification by specimen type, quality score, method of estimation of mean and standard deviation, and whether sampling not in labor/premature rupture of membrane/infection also showed significant differences in standardized mean difference of IL-18, as well as IFN-γ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggests that circulating higher IFN-γ levels may be associated with preeclampsia.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Xiaowei
authors: X
authors: Su
authors: Wenming
authors: W
authors: Xu
authors: Rong
authors: R
authors: Zhou
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: C573415:IFNG protein, human; C000589760:IL18 protein, human; D020382:Interleukin-18; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Blood specimen collection; IFN-γ; IL-18; inflammation