Neutrophil elastase in cervical fluid in women with short cervical length

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the relationships between short cervical length (CL) and levels of cervical fluid neutrophil elastase (NE), secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), and interleukin 8 (IL-8) in the second trimester of pregnancy of women who underwent ultrasound-indicated cervical cerclage. Materials and methods: CL of < 25 mm or cervical funneling were included in the short CL group (n = 26) and the normal CL group (n = 22) included women who had CL of >= 25 mm and had no cervical funneling in women between 17 thorn 0 and 24 thorn 6 weeks of gestation. Levels of NE, SLPI, and IL-8 were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. ManneWhitney U tests and Spearman's correlation analysis were used for statistical analyses. Results: Compared with the normal CL group, the short CL group had significantly higher median NE levels (P < 0.001) and higher, though not significant, median IL-8 levels by approximately three times (2107.0 vs. 798.3 pg/mL, P = 0.132). The median SLPI levels in cervical fluid was similar between the two groups (107.6 vs. 103.2 ng/mL, P = 0.499). Short CL had a significant correlations with cervical fluid NE levels (r = -0.475, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Increased cervical fluid NE associated with cervical shortening in second trimester of pregnancy, whereas cervical fluid SLPI had constant levels. (C) 2018 Taiwan Association of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.