Table 2 Secretory cytokine responses into whole blood culture supernatants and correlation with gestational age
CytokineStaphylococcus epidermidisLipopolysaccharide
IL6R = 0.250 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.38, p = 0.001)R = 0.288 (95% CI 0.16 to 0.40, p<0.001)
IL10R = 0.140 (95% CI −0.003 to 0.27, p = 0.06)R = 0.321 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.43, p<0.001)
TGFβR = 0.229 (95% CI −0.03 to 0.46, p = 0.07)R = 0.322 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.53, p = 0.007)

  • Assessment of cytokine production in whole blood culture supernatants was performed by ELISA technique. Correlations with gestational age were indicated as bivariate factor R (Spearman rs test) and confidence intervals were calculated according to Bonnett.29

  • IL, interleukin; TGF, transforming growth factor.