Interleukin-8 Levels and Granulocyte Counts in Cervical Mucus During Pregnancy

PROBLEM: We measured interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) and granulocyte counts in cervical mucus to assess local immunity and parturition. METHOD OF STUDY: We detected IL‐8 by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. Granulocytes were counted on a slide glass containing mucus from the external cervical os. RESULTS: ELISA and Western blotting revealed IL‐8 in cervical mucus from both nonpregnant and pregnant women. There were no significant differences in cervical mucus IL‐8 levels or granulocyte counts between follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. However, IL‐8 and granulocyte counts were significantly decreased after menopause. IL‐8 and granulocyte counts were increased significantly during pregnancy, and were further increased after 38 weeks of gestation and at labor. IL‐8 levels were significantly correlated with granulocyte counts, based on the study of 678 samples (P