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ACTA Pharmaceutica Sciencia
2026 , Vol 64 , Num 2
A comparative clinical study of IL-18, IL-23, CD68, and VEGF in miscarriage versus normal ongoing pregnancy
1 University of Baghdad, College of Science for Women, Department of Biology, Baghdad, Iraq2 University of Mustansiriyah, College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baghdad, Iraq
DOI : 10.23893/1307-2080.APS6409 Viewed : 205 - Downloaded : 74 Miscarriage is a common complication of pregnancy, with various immunological and inflammatory factors contributing to its pathophysiology. The majority of its underlying causes are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of interleukin (IL)-18, IL-23, cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in women with miscarriage versus those with successful pregnancies. The study included 90 participants, 30 women with missed miscarriages, 30 women with incomplete miscarriages, and 30 control women with successful pregnancies. Blood levels of IL-18, VEGF, CD68, and IL-23 were determined. The results demonstrated significantly elevated levels (p<0.05) of IL-18, VEGF, and CD68 in the missed miscarriage group with values of 675.82 ± 130.71, 542.81 ± 59.96, and 3.37 ± 0.23 ng/ml, respectively. These were followed by the incomplete miscarriage group, with levels of 160.75 ± 58.61 pg/ml for IL-18, 319.99 ± 24.08 pg/ml for VEGF, and 1.97 ± 0.26 ng/ ml for CD68. The control group showed the lowest levels: 154.57 ± 50.93 pg/ ml for IL-18, 260.74 ± 43.80 pg/ml for VEGF, and 1.72 ± 0.12 ng/ml for CD68. All differences were statistically significant (p=0.00001). Conversely, IL-23 levels were markedly elevated in the incomplete miscarriage group (397.78 ± 56.94 pg/ml), showing a highly significant difference compared to the other groups (p<0.0001). Significant moderate correlations among biomarkers were found in control and incomplete miscarriage groups, while in missed miscarriage there were significant positive correlations of IL-18 with IL-23, and IL-18 with CD68 with a negative significant correlation between IL-18 and VEGF. Differential levels of IL-18, VEGF, and IL-23, and CD68 indicate potential roles in miscarriage pathophysiology and suggest targeted therapeutic options. Keywords : ILs, CD68, VEGF, cytokine, miscarriage, pregnancy