Objective — to define the pathogenetic and prognostic value of lactoferrin (LF) and α2-macroglobulin (α2-MG) levels in amniotic fluid in the development of intrauterine infections, in the course of an early neonatal period in neonatal infants born to mothers in the mono- and mixed carriage of perinatal infection pathogens. Subjects and methods. The pathogenetic and prognostic values of amniotic fluid LF and α2-MG levels in parturient women in the carriage of persistent infection pathogens, who had given birth to babies with intrauterine infection, were estimated examining the samples obtained from 120 parturient women in the monocarriage of perinatal persistent infection pathogens, including 78 and 42 who had given birth to infants with intrauterine infection and healthy babies, respectively, and from 120 parturient women in the mixed carriage of the examined perinatal infections pathogens, including 67 and 53 who had given birth to babies with intrauterine infection and healthy infants, respectively. A control group consisted of 27 healthy women who had given birth to healthy babies. LF and α2-MG levels were determined by a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay. Results. The infants born with intrauterine infections were established to have significantly reduced amniotic fluid LF levels that suggested that the antibacterial and antiviral potential of the fetal microenvironment was decreased and to have elevated α2-MG levels because of placental barrier dysfunctions. The changes were more pronounced in the monocarriage of persistent latent infection pathogens than in the mixed carriage. In the healthy babies born to the women in the monocarriage and mixed carriage of perinatal infection pathogens, the amniotic fluid levels of LF and α2-MG were not different from those in the control group, suggesting the preservation of placental protective and barrier functions. Conclusion. The found changes may be used in the prenatal prediction of intrauterine infections and a complicated early neonatal period. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
