Objective: To study the change and clinical significance of maternal serum and amniotic fluid interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in patients with chorioamnionitis and premature rupture of membrane (PROM).
Methods: Twenty normal term-pregnant women as control, and fourty-six women with PROM were enrolled for study. Maternal serum and amniotic fluid IL-6, TNF-alpha levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chorioamnionitis was diagnosed histologically.
Results: The maternal serum IL-6 levels and amniotic fluid IL-6, TNF-alpha levels were higher in PROM group than that of control (P < 0.01). There was significant positive correlation between maternal IL-6, amniotic fluid IL-6, TNF-alpha levels and the duration from rupture of membrane, (the longer was time, the higher were the maternal IL-6 and the amniotic fluid IL-6. TNF-alpha). There were 12 cases with chorioamnionitis in patients with PROM and their maternal and amnotic fluid IL-6, TNF-alpha levels were higher than that of non-chorioamnionitis (P < 0.01-0.05).
Conclusion: IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels in maternal serum and amniotic fluid are valuable clinical indices for identification of chorioamnionitis in patients with PROM.