Cervical Ripening Induces Labour Through Interleukin 1β

Summary: In order to study the Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) levels in mechanical cervical ripening with Foley catheter, IL-1β levels in amniotic fluid of 12 women before and after cervical ripening were compared with those in 23 women in spontaneous active labour. IL-1β was present in 81.8% of patients after cervical ripening and in none prior to it. In women with spontaneous labour 69.6% had immunodetectable IL-1β. Women with spontaneous labour and those sampled after cervical ripening had similar IL-1β levels in the amniotic fluid. Cervical ripening with Foley catheter is associated with high levels of IL-1β and this probably induces labour.