Relationship between interleukin-6 in umbilical cord serum and brain damage in preterm newborns

Objectives To examine the relationship among neonatal brain damage, maternal chorioamnionitis and umbilical cord serum interleukin 6(IL 6) concentration, to evaluate the clinical significance of examining umbilical cord serum IL 6 concentration, and to provide a new method for preventing and diagnosing brain damage in the preterm neonates Methods This study involved 31 preterms (1) The umbilical cord serum IL 6 concentration of neonates was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; (2) Maternal chorioamnionitis was determined by histologic examination; (3) Brain damage was diagnosed by ultrasonography or CT in the first three days Results (1)Preterm neonates whose mothers with chorioamnionitis showed a higher incidnce (75%) of brain damage than those whose mother without infections (32%) Umbilical cord serum IL 6 concentrations were higher in preterm newborns with brain damages (median was 1 7 μg/L,from 0.1 μg/L to 14.0 μg/L) than those without brain damages (median was 0 8 μg/L,from 0.3 μg/L to 3 7 μg/L) ;Among the preterm neonates with brain damage, cord serum IL 6 levels were significantly higher in the presence of mothers′ choriamnionitis (median was 2 3 μg/L, and from 1 2 μg/L to 14 3 μg/L) than the absence of mothers′ chorioamnionitis (median was 1 2 μg/L, from 0 1 μg/L to 2 4 μg/L);(2) The brain imaging examination along with the cord serum IL 6 level of ≥1 2 μg/L were used as a criteria to diagnose the brain damage associated with maternal infection, the sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 75% Conclusions Maternal chorioamnionitis associated with an increased incidence of brain damage in preterm newborns So it is very important to prevent and treat maternal IUI earlier to prevent the occurrence of brain damage in preterm neonates and decrease the risk of neurologic deficits, such as cerebral palsy IL 6 in umbilical cord serum might be the link between maternal infection and neonatal damage These results might provide a new practicable method for preventing and diagnosing of brain damage in preterm newborns The increasing of umbilical cord serum IL 6 levels may be a good index for brain damage in preterm newborns There is a clinical significance to examine IL 6 concentration in umbilical cord plasma of neonates