Amniotic fluid soluble Toll-like receptor 2 in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes

Abstract

Objective: To determine amniotic fluid soluble Toll-like receptor 2 (sTLR2) levels in PPROM according to the presence of microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC), histological chorioamnionitis (HCA), and both these conditions. To test the cutoff level of 222.7 ng/mL, as proposed in our previous study, in order to distinguish women with both MIAC and HCA. Methods: 169 women with a gestational age between 24+0 and 36+6 weeks were included in a prospective cohort study. Amniocenteses were performed, and sTLR2 in the amniotic fluid were determined using ELISA. Results: Women with MIAC had higher sTLR2 levels (median 113.2 ng/mL) than those without MIAC (median 47.1 ng/mL; p < 0.0001). Women with HCA did not have a higher sTLR2 level (median 52.6 ng/mL) compared with women without HCA (median 47.1 ng/mL; p = 0.23). Women with both MIAC and HCA had higher sTLR2 levels (median: 311.3 ng/mL) than other women (17.5 ng/mL; p < 0.0001). The cutoff level 222.7 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 63%, a specificity of 98%, and a likelihood ratio of 40.3 for the prediction of both MIAC and HCA. Conclusions: Amniotic fluid sTLR2 is a promising predictor of both MIAC and HCA with high specificity in PPROM.

Keywords::

• Histological chorioamnionitis
• microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity
• pattern recognition receptor
• soluble receptor

Declaration of Interest: This work was fully supported by a grant from the Ministry of Health, Czech Republic (NT13461-4/2012).