Cervical inflammatory cytokines and other markers in the cervical mucus of pregnant women with lower genital tract infection

Objective: To evaluate concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, lactoferrin (LF), and alpha defencine (α-DF) in the cervical mucus of pregnant women and analyze their relation to cervicitis and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Methods: Cervical mucus samples were obtained from August 2003 through May 2004 from 157 women who were between the 6th and 36th week of an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy. All women were delivered at term, 69 without BV or cervicitis, 9 with BV, and 79 with cervicitis. Results: Interleukin 8, LF, and μ-DF concentrations were higher in women with cervicitis (0.81 ± 0.36 pg/mL, 14.8 ± 12.3 μg/mL, and 0.60 ± 0.49 μg/mL) than in women without BV or cervicitis (0.35 ± 0.34 pg/mL, 8.0 ± 11.0 μg/mL, and 0.15 ± 0.12 μg/mL). Interleukin 6 concentration was higher in women with BV (0.26 ± 0.32 pg/mL) than in women without BV or cervicitis (0.09 ± 0.15 pg/mL) or in women with cervicitis (0.12 ± 0.18 pg/mL). Conclusions: Higher levels of inflammatory cytokines in the cervical mucus of pregnant women may lead to early detection of lower genital tract infection.