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Noninvasive Prediction of Intra-amniotic Infection and/or Inflammation in Women With Preterm Labor: Various Cytokines in Cervicovaginal Fluid

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Abstract

Objective

To determine the value of cervicovaginal interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in predicting intra-amniotic infection and/or inflammation (IAI) in women with preterm labor.

Methods

Cervicovaginal fluid samples were collected for IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 measurements immediately before amniocentesis in 85 consecutive women with preterm labor. The IAI was defined as a positive amniotic fluid (AF) culture and/or an elevated AF IL-6 level (>2.6 ng/mL).

Results

Receiver—operating characteristic curves demonstrated that cervicovaginal IL-6 and IL-8, but not IL-1β, predicted IAI. Cervicovaginal IL-6 had a significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) than cervicovaginal IL-8 (P = .009). However, the AUCs for the cervicovaginal IL-6 and AF white blood cell (WBC) were not significantly different.

Conclusions

Among measured cytokines, cervicovaginal IL-6 is the best marker to noninvasively identify IAI in women with preterm labor. Overall, this noninvasive parameter performed as well as AF WBC count for predicting IAI.

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Correspondence to Kyo Hoon Park MD, PhD.

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Park, J.W., Park, K.H. & Lee, S.Y. Noninvasive Prediction of Intra-amniotic Infection and/or Inflammation in Women With Preterm Labor: Various Cytokines in Cervicovaginal Fluid. Reprod. Sci. 20, 262–268 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719112451794

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