The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2013 , Vol 55 , Num 6
Cord blood cytokine levels in focal early-onset neonatal infection after preterm premature rupture of membranes
1Department of Pediatrics, 2Blood Center, 3Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 4Department of Pathology, Botucatu
Medical School, and 5Biostatistics Department, Bioscience Institute of Botucatu, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
E-mail: kurokawa@fmb.unesp.br, cskurokawa@gmail.com
This study aimed to evaluate the levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines
in umbilical cord blood of preterm neonates who developed focal early-onset
infection (EOI) after preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).
This is a prospective study conducted on 46 preterm infants from mothers
with PPROM. The cytokines were measure by flow cytometry. Newborns were
classified into two groups as focal EOI (n=19) and non-infected (n=27).
Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels were higher, whereas IL-10 and IL-12 p70
levels were lower in the EOI when compared to the non-infected group. The
best combination of cytokines was IL-6+IL-8, with a diagnostic accuracy of
0.97. Focal EOI after PPROM is associated with increased levels of IL-6 and
IL-8 and diminished IL-10 and IL-12 in the cord blood of preterm infants.
Combined assessment of IL-6 and IL-8 in cord blood may provide an additional
tool for identifying preterm infants who develop EOI after PPROM.
Keywords :
early infection, in vivo inflammation, cytokine, innate immunity, infant,
premature.