Clinical significance of procalcitonin in cervico-vaginal secretions of women with preterm rupture of membranes

Purpose: To compare vaginal fluid procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations in cases of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and healthy pregnant women, and to determine whether the PCT concentrations are of value in the diagnosis of PPROM cases and clinical amnionitis. Methods: 50 cases with PPROM and 50 healthy pregnant women were enrolled in the study. In the PPROM group, analysis was conducted on PCT concentrations with reference to serum leucocytosis, serum C-reactive protein level and urine analysis, as well as to presence/absence of clinical amnionitis. Statistical analyses were carried out by using the statistical packages for SPSS 12.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Procalcitonin levels in the PPROM group were significantly higher than in cases of healthy pregnant women (1.17 vs 0.05 ng/ml; p < 0.001). In the PPROM group PCT concentrations between the patients with and without clinical amnionitis were comparable. Also, a significant correlation was observed between PCT and leucocytosis (r = 0.64; p < 0.001) and C-reactive protein (r = 0.90; p < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the value of vaginal fluid PCT determinations can be useful for diagnostics of PPROM cases suspected of intrauterine infection.