الفهرس 
PreeclampsiaOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication that is typically characterized by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation and affects both mother and fetus. In the absence of proteinuria, additional features contribute to diagnosis i.e., thrombocytopenia, renal insufficiency, impaired liver function, pulmonary edema and cerebral or visual symptoms. Worldwide, each year, PE is responsible for >500,000 fetal and neonatal deaths and >70,000 maternal deaths.
Interleukin-27 (IL-27) belongs to the IL-6/IL-12 family of cytokines. It is associated with different inflammatory diseases and orchestrates its biological activity via common heterodimeric receptor composed of WSX-1 (IL-27Rα) and gp130. Serum IL-27 is highly elevated in patients with preeclampsia, compared with normal individuals so it is considered a suitable biomarker for predicting preeclampsia or associated complications.
The aim of our case-control study was to compare serum levels of IL-27 in preeclamptic women with apparently healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women and to evaluate its relation with disease severity and neonatal outcomes.
This work was conducted on 120 females of matched age and BMI which were subdivided into:
group (1): patient group included 40 pregnant women with preeclampsia (PE).
group (2): control group included 40 apparently healthy pregnant women.
group (3): control group included 40 apparently healthy non-pregnant women.
All enrolled females were subjected to full history taking and clinical examination. Laboratory investigations included liver function tests [serum albumin, AST and ALT], proteinuria dipstick test, platelets count and serum IL-27 level by ELISA.
Any pregnant woman complicated by eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, gestational diabetes mellitus, clinical chorioamnionitis, malignancy or any infectious disorders was excluded from the study.
The results of the present work can be summarized as the following:
• Serum IL-27 was significantly higher in preeclampsia cases rather than the apparently healthy pregnant and non-pregnant controls.
• Serum IL-27 was significantly increasing with increasing disease severity.
• Serum IL-27 showed a significant increasing levels along with increasing degrees of proteinuria in preeclampsia cases.
• Serum IL-27 level showed significant positive correlations with systolic blood pressure and AST level.
• Serum IL-27 level showed significant negative correlations with weeks of gestation at time of presentation, fetal age at delivery (weeks) and platelets count.
• The mean fetal age at delivery in preeclampsia patients was significantly lower than in the apparently normal pregnant controls.
• The birth weight of babies born to preeclampsia mother was significantly lower than in the apparently normal pregnant females.
• Regarding fetal outcome; in preeclampsia cases 45% of fetuses were born preterm, 12.5% were IUFD and 42.5% were born at full term. This was statistically significant compared to the apparently normal pregnant females whose babies were all born at full term.
• Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in preeclampsia cases compared to the apparently normal pregnant and non-pregnant females.
In conclusion, this study evaluated the serum levels of IL-27 in preeclampsia. Interestingly the results of the present study in keeping with evidences from literature revealed a significant relation between IL-27 serum levels with preeclampsia and in particular severe preeclampsia. Although further studies are required to elucidate the role of IL-27 in the development of PE, it could be one of the useful screening biomarkers for predicting disease severity and it could be a new therapeutic target in PE.