Objective: To determine whether umbilical cord blood concentrations of soluble scavenger receptor for hemoglobin (sCD163) and pentraxin 3 (PTX3) are of value in the early postpartum diagnosis of histological chorioamnionitis in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM).
Methods: Eighty-three women with pregnancies complicated by PPROM between 24 and 36 weeks of gestation with (n = 38) and without (n = 45) the presence of histological chorioamnionitis were included in the study. We compared umbilical cord blood sCD163 and PTX3 levels in preterm neonates from PPROM pregnancies with versus without the presence of histological chorioamnionitis using nonparametric test (Mann-Whitney U test).
Results: The presence of histological chorioamnionitis was associated with a higher median umbilical cord blood sCD163, but not PTX3 concentration, to compare with the absence of histological chorioamnionitis [sCD163: median 1466 ng/mL, interquartile range (IQR) 1187-1828 vs. 1168 ng/mL, IQR 887-1595; p = 0.01; PTX3: median 3.96 ng/mL, IQR 2.24-6.77 vs. 2.95 ng/mL, IQR 1.74-6.93; p = 0.49].
Conclusions: HCA is associated with an increase of umbilical cord blood sCD163, but not PTX3 concentration. Umbilical cord blood sCD163 seems to be a postpartum marker of the presence of histological chorioamnionitis.