A systematic review of biomarkers associated with maternal infection in pregnant and postpartum women.

Abstract

Serum biomarkers are commonly used to support the diagnosis of infection in non-pregnant patients whose clinical presentation suggests infection. The utility of serum biomarkers for infection in pregnant and postpartum women is uncertain. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and SCOPUS were searched from inception to February 2020. Full-text manuscripts in English were included if they reported the measurement of maternal serum biomarkers-and included a control group-to identify infection in pregnant and postpartum women. two authors independently screened manuscripts, extracted data, and assessed methodologic quality. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1, tumor necrosis factor-α, calgranulin B, neopterin, and interferon-γ inducible protein 10 reliably indicated infection. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1, monocyte chemotactic and activating factor, soluble IL-6 receptor, and IL-8 were not useful markers in pregnant and postpartum women. Findings suggest that certain biomarkers have diagnostic value when maternal infection is suspected, but also confirms limitations in this population.