RESUMO
Chorioamminitis occurs in 1-4% of labors and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in both mother and neonate, however, dependence on fever alone foe diagosis of the condition may be insufficient. To evaluate the potential use of measurement of IL-6 levels in maternal serum in the diagnosis of chorioamminotitis in cases with intrapartum fever. Patients and The study population consisted of 79 women with intrapartum fever, for each of them clinical charateristics were noted and recorded, IL-6 was measured using an ELISA technique, and the placenta was examined for histologic evidence of chorioamiontitis. IL-6 was detected in 75/79 cases [94.94%] Histologic evidence of Chorioamniotitis was found in 16/79 cases [20.25%]. IL-6 was detected in the 16 cases with histolgic chorioaminionitis and its level was significantly higher than in the 63 cases without histologic evidence chorioamnitis. The median value of maternal serum IL-6 in cases with histologic evidence of chorioamnionitis was 371 pg/ml [range: 156/667 pg/ml] while the mediam value of maternal serum IL/6 in cases with no histologic evidence of chorioamnionitis was 124 pg/nl [range: 0-289 pg/ml]. measurement of IL-6 in maternal serum of women with intrapartum fever could be a sensitive but not a specific marker for the diagnosis of chorioamnionitis