Changes of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and total antioxidant ability in the umbilical venous plasma of preterm birth with or without premature rupture of membranes / 대한산부인과학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha), oxygen-radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and antioxidant vitamin levels in the umbilical venous plasma of preterm labor with intact membranes (PTL) and preterm premature rupture of membrane (PPROM) with that of full term normal pregnancy (NP) and to evaluate their roles of pathophysiology in preterm labor and PPROM. METHODS: Umbilical venous blood samples were collected from women with PTL (n=30), PPROM (n=30) and NP (n=30). IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lipid peroxide levels were measured by thiobarbituric acid reaction. The ORAC was mesured by Cao's method. Antioxidant vitamin levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels in the umbilical venous plasma of PPROM were significantly higher than that of PTL and NP (3.28+/-0.31 vs. 2.84+/-0.19 vs. 2.79+/-0.22 pg/ml, p<0.05), (2.30+/-0.27 vs. 1.64+/-0.23 vs. 1.40+/-0.25 pg/ml, p<0.01). Lipid peroxide levels in the umbilical venous plasma of PPROM were significantly higher than that of NP and PTL (2.78+/-0.27 vs. 2.54+/-0.32 vs. 2.24+/-0.24 nmol/mg protein, p<0.01). ORAC levels in the umbilical venous plasma of PTL and PPROM were significantly lower than that of NP (967425.4+/-98.99 vs. 965165.8+/-91.20 vs. 1011328.5+/-85.96 U/ml, p<0.05). Ascorbic acid levels in the umbilical venous plasma of PPROM were significantly lower than that of NP and PTL (125.6+/-2.33 vs. 158.3+/-3.08 vs. 221.7+/-2.82 nmol/ml, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Increase in inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha) and imbalance of increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant activity in umbilical venous blood may be involved in the pathophysiology of PPROM.