Cord blood cytokines and soluble adhesion molecules in vaginal and cesarean delivered neonates.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of labor pain on the concentrations of cytokines and soluble adhesion molecules in cord blood.

METHODS

Umbilical cord interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), granulocyte elastase (GEL), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and endothelial lymphocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) were measured in 21 normal appropriately grown newborns delivered vaginally (VD group), and 20 normal appropriately grown newborns delivered by elective cesarean section (ECS group). Umbilical cord arterial blood pH and PO2 were also measured.

RESULTS

Umbilical artery blood pH and PO2 in the VD group were not significantly different from those in the ECS group. There were no significant differences for concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, GEL, ICAM-1, and ELAM-1 in cord blood between VD and ECS groups.

CONCLUSION

These results suggests that labor pains do not affect the concentrations of cytokines and soluble adhesion molecules in cord blood.