Potential role of interleukins-12 and 18 as predictors in infection induced premature rupture of membranes whether full term or preterm

ABSTRACT

Acute bacterial intraamniotic infections are by far the most important cause of perinatal morbidity and death. Although early diagnosis and aggressive treatment to decrease the ill effects of intra amniotic infection, this goal is frequently difficult to achieve because the infection may not be clinically apparent before delivery in all patients. In this respect, the current study was designed to asses the potential role of interleukins [1L]-12 and or 18 as a predictor of infection induced rupture membrane whether term or preterm. 75 pregnant women at labor were the subjects of the study. 25 preterm with premature rupture of membranes [PROM] were gp 1, 25 full term PROM were gp 2 and 25 full term with intact membranes were gp 3 [controls]. Bacterial cultures, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma were detected among the high vaginal swabs taken at the time of delivery. IL-12 and 18 were quantitated by commercial enzyme linked immu-nosorbant assay [ELISA] from cell culture supernates of milogcn stimulated whole peripheral blood obtained from all subjects at time of delivery. Results revealed a significant association of bacterial infections and IL-12 and 18 with PROM deliveries [whether preterm or term] compared to the controls. A significant increase in IL-12 and 18 were observed among preterm cases than full term ones and among positive bacterial culture cases compared to negative culture ones. The highest interleukin values were with ordinary bacterial infections and the least were with mycoplasmal and ureaplasmal ones. IL-18 values were significantly higher than IL-12 levels. So, we can conclude that IL-18 measurement could be a marker of infection induced PROM