Determination of Maternal Serum Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Changes in Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Abstract

Background: Some fetuses were intrinsically small, registering below 10th percentile in weight for their gestational age, in accordance with their genetic growth potential. They were not growth-restricted & can be precisely characterized as small for gestational age fetuses. Factors leading to fetal growth restriction primarily encompass issues inherent to fetal-placental-maternal unit, fetal undernutrition, & intrauterine spatial constraints that hinder fetal development. Fetal growth restriction was a fetal disorder that could result in significant short-term & long-term challenges, without IUGR adversely impacting quality of life.

Aim: The study was to ascertain alterations in maternal serum pro-inflammatory cytokines in cases with intrauterine growth restriction.

Methods: This case-control study was performed in Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology affiliated with AlImamain Alkadhimain Medical City. A total of 54 four cases with intrauterine growth restriction (Group A) & 54 controls from labor room or obstetric ward (Group B) were recruited according to study's selection criteria.

Result: No statistically significant differences were seen in age, BMI, gravidity, & parity among analyzed groups based on maternal characteristics. Inflammatory indicators indicated a very significant difference in ESR, Hs CRP, IL-6, & TNF-α across examined groups.

Conclusion: Pro-inflammatory cytokines, ESR, hsCRP, IL-6, & TNF-α levels were elevated in cases with IUGR. Consequently, it was evident that a proinflammatory condition was implicated in pathophysiology of IUGR. Further research will enable identification of particular causes of IUGR & mitigation of this inflammation, so potentially preventing onset of IUGR.