The clinical significance of eosinophils in the amniotic fluid in preterm labor

Abstract

Methods. This retrospective case-control study included women who presented with preterm labor and intact membranes between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation. Patients underwent an amniocentesis shortly after admission for the assessment of the microbiologic status of the amniotic cavity and/or fetal lung maturity. Amniotic fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as genital mycoplasmas. Cytologic studies included amniotic fluid white blood cell count and differential, which was performed on cytocentrifuged specimens. Patients with microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity and/or an amniotic fluid white blood cell count > 20 cells/mm<SU3</SU were excluded from the study. Cases were defined as women in whom the differential contained > 20% of eosinophils. Controls were selected among women with an amniotic fluid eosinophil count < 20% and matched for gestational age at amniocentesis. The analysis was conducted with non-parametric statistics.