Clinical and prognostic value of combined measurement of cytokines and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in premature rupture of membranes

Objective: To evaluate whether levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) differ from those in women without PROM. Methods: An observational study of full-term primiparous pregnant women with PROM (PROM group) and those undergoing elective cesarean delivery (control group) was performed at a center in Yangzhou, China, between January 2003 and July 2006. IL-6, IL-8, and VCAM-1 levels were measured in maternal blood, cord blood, and amniotic fluid. A pathologic examination of fetal membranes was conducted. Results: The IL-6, IL-8, and VCAM-1 levels in maternal serum, amniotic fluid, and cord blood were significantly higher in the PROM group (n = 58) than in the control group (n = 38; P < 0.05 for all comparisons). In the PROM group, the levels increased with duration of membrane rupture (P < 0.05 for all). Women with chorioamnionitis had significantly higher levels than women without chorioamnionitis (P < 0.05 for all), and women with PROM whose newborns had low Apgar score (57) had higher levels than those whose newborns had a higher Apgar score (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: Combined measurements of IL-6, IL-8, and VCAM-1 might help to improve early diagnosis of PROM and chorioamnionitis, and to evaluate the prognosis of newborns. (C) 2015 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.