Published in:
01-01-2012 | Original Article
Color of Meconium and Interleukin-6
Published in: Indian Journal of Pediatrics | Issue 1/2012
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Objective
To test the hypothesis that the color of meconial fluid is associated with inflammatory biomarkers, by determining C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum from the umbilical cord.
Methods
In this prospective study, the authors selected 30 newborns with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF): 14 with green/brown 656 R color and 16 with brown/cinnamon 654 R color, and 20 newborns which showed clear amniotic fluid without MSAF (non-MSAF); all newborns were from mothers without risk factors for neonatal sepsis.
Results
IL-6 concentration from umbilical cord blood, [median of 12.9 pg/mL (interquartile range {IQR} 8.7–31.0)] of MSAF-green/brown 656 R increased significantly (p < 0.05) when compared with IL-6 concentration, [median of 9.2 pg/mL (IQR 7.2–12.2)] of newborns with clear amniotic fluid and without meconium. CRP from MSAF-green/brown 656 R was median of 0.5 mg/mL (IQR 0.0–2.7), and median of 1.0 mg/mL (IQR 0.0–5.5) from clear amniotic fluid, without meconium.
Conclusions
Significant association was found between MSAF-green/brown 656 R and increase in IL-6, with normal CRP values.