[Detecting cytokines in patients with preterm premature rupture of membrane].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship of maternal blood and amniotic fluid cytokine levels in patients with preterm premature rupture of membrane and chorioamnionitis. METHODS: IL8 and TNF alpha levels of maternal blood and amniotic fluid were determined by 125I radioimmunoassay (RIA) and an enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chorioamnionitis was diagnosed by fetal membrane histology. RESULTS: The maternal serum IL8 levels and amniotic fluid IL8, TNF alpha levels were higher than those of controls (P < 0.05). There was significant relationship between maternal serum and amniotic fluid IL8, TNF alpha with the time of the premature rupture of membanes. The longer the time the higher the maternal serum IL8 and amniotic fluid IL8, TNF alpha; There were 13 patients with chorioamnionitis, and their maternal serum and amniotic fluid IL8, TNF alpha were higher than those of patients with non-chorioamnionitis (P < 0.01-0.05). CONCLUSION: IL8, TNF alpha levels of maternal serum and amniotic fluid are valuable clinical indexes in identification of chorioamnionitis in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes.