Interleukin-18 concentrations in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia with and without IUGR: A comparison with normotensive pregnant women with isolated IUGR and healthy pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of present study was to assess the maternal serum levels and clinical significance of interleukin-18 (IL-18) in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and/or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study was carried out on 30 patients with pregnancy complicated by severe preeclampsia (15 patients with IUGR and 15 with appropriate-for-gestational-age weight fetuses), 11 normotensive pregnant patients with pregnancy complicated by isolated IUGR and 32 healthy normotensive women with uncomplicated pregnancies. The interleukin-18 levels were determined using an ELISA assay.

RESULTS

Decreased levels of maternal serum IL-18 in preeclamptic patients with and without IUGR were observed. Contrary to the preeclamptic women, no difference was found in the maternal serum levels of IL-18 in normotensive patients with pregnancies complicated by isolated fetal growth restriction. These levels were the same as observed in the healthy controls. The mean values of maternal serum IL-18 were 219.118±180.079pg/mL in the PRE group, 438.170±229.657pg/mL in the group of women with isolated IUGR, and 457.053±528.142pg/mL in the control group. The levels of maternal serum IL-18 were similar in both study preeclamptic subgroups. The mean values of IL-18 were 204.823±188.171pg/mL in the group PI and 233.414±176.995pg/mL in the P group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that decreased levels of IL-18 in maternal serum play a significant role in etiology and pathogenesis of preeclampsia. But normotensive pregnancies complicated by isolated IUGR are not associated with the altered interleukin 18 levels in maternal serum.