@article{3114720,
    title = "Association between serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha and
corticotropin-releasing hormone levels in women with preterm labor",
    author = "Vitoratos, Nicolaos and Papadias, Konstantinos and Makrakis, Evangelos and and Christodoulakos, George and Panoulis, Konstantinos and Creatsas, and George",
    journal = "Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research",
    year = "2006",
    volume = "32",
    number = "5",
    pages = "497-501",
    publisher = "Blackwell Publishing Inc.",
    issn = "1341-8076, 1447-0756",
    doi = "10.1111/j.1447-0756.2006.00441.x",
    keywords = "corticotrophin-releasing hormone; labor; pregnancy; preterm labor; tumor
necrosis factor-alpha",
    abstract = "Aim: To evaluate the association of serum corticotropin-releasing
hormone (CRH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in preterm
labor.
Methods: Forty-nine primigravidas with a singleton viable pregnancy
between 28 and 34 weeks of gestation were studied. They were divided
into two groups. Group A consisted of 30 pregnant women (mean
gestational age: 30.6 week) who presented with preterm labor and group B
consisted of 19 pregnant women (mean gestational age: 29.8 week) with
normal pregnancies.
Results: Women of group A had significantly higher serum CRH levels
compared to those of group B (P < 0.01). Similarly, serum TNF-alpha
levels were significantly higher in women of group A when compared to
women of group B (7.8 +/- 3.72 pg/mL and 5.1 +/- 3.72 pg/mL,
respectively). Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between
serum CRH and TNF-alpha levels in both groups, which was stronger in
women of group A.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the increased levels of TNF-alpha
and CRH found in pregnant women presenting with preterm labor may be
involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of the latter. Furthermore,
a positive interaction may exist between TNF-alpha and placental CRH,
which may lead to enhanced production of the second and, therefore,
facilitate the onset of labor."
}