Abstract

Background: This study was designed to evaluate maternal levels of leptin and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in pregnancy complicated with hypertension and to assess the role of cytokines in predicting the risk of cesarean section.
Material/Methods: This was a cohort study with a prospective follow-up. After proportional sampling procedure, the study included the follow-up of 40 women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (pregnancy-induced hypertension [PIH] or preeclampsia [PE]) and 40 uncomplicated pregnancies. Women were followed from the time of admission to the delivery. Levels of leptin and interferon-gamma were measured in serum samples from all women. A p-value <0.05 was considered as significant.
Results: Significant increase in IFN-gamma and leptin concentration in women with pre-eclampsia was observed. We found a significant 1.4-fold increase in the risk of birth by cesarean section associated with the increase of the IFN-gamma concentration by 0.1 pg/ml and almost 3-fold increase in the risk associated with the increase of the leptin concentration.
Conclusions: IFN-γ and leptin might be risk markers of cesarean section in hypertension disorders of pregnancy, but further studies supporting this evidence are needed.

Keywords: Labor, Obstetric - blood, Interferon-gamma - blood, Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced - blood, Cesarean Section, Case-Control Studies, Apgar Score, Leptin - blood, Linear Models, Pregnancy