Placental interleukin-6 production is enhanced in intrauterine infection but not in labor.

Abstract

Because interleukin-6 is an important mediator in the host defense mechanism against infection and tissue damage, we studied the capacity of placentas with or without either labor or chorioamnionitis in the third trimester to produce interleukin-6. The placental blocks were cultured, and their interleukin-6 titers were measured by a bioassay. Placentas with labor produced a similar amount of interleukin-6 to placentas without labor. In contrast, placentas with chorioamnionitis produced much more interleukin-6 than the placentas with or without labor (p < 0.0001). Placental interleukin-6 is thus surmised to participate in potentiation of the placental and fetomaternal defense mechanisms together with placental interleukin-1 during chorioamnionitis.