The response of neutrophil to dexamethasone treatment
Similar to mean WBC count, in Fig. 2B and Table 2, significant rises in mean neutrophil in both groups were noted 24 hours after injection of the first treatment; there was a 44.85% increase in the CON group from 7.18×109 to 10.40×109 cell/L (p<0.001) and a 39.87% increase in the HCA group from 7.45×109 to 10.42×109 cell/L (p<0.001). Declining levels of neutrophil were recorded on day three (72 hours) after the first dexamethasone injection compared to the value at day two (48 hours). There was a 17.45% decline in the CON group from 10.37×109 to 8.56×109 cell/L (p<0.001) and a 16.38% decline in the HCA group from 10.44×109 to 8.73×109 cell/L (p<0.001); these levels remained higher than in the baseline (p<0.001 in both groups). At all the time points, no significant difference in mean neutrophil between two groups was found during the process. The above data confirmed HCA might not influence the response of neutrophil to dexamethasone in PPROM women.
The response of lymphocyte to dexamethasone treatment
24 hours after the initial treatment (Fig. 2C and Table 2), lymphocyte in the CON group descended significantly by 16.34% (p<0.001); lymphocyte in the HCA group also declined significantly by 16.78% (p<0.001). At 48 hours, mean lymphocyte levels in both groups returned to their baseline levels. At 72 hours after first injection, a significant increase in lymphocyte levels was recorded. Lymphocyte levels went from 1.51×109 to 1.91×109 cell/L, an increase of 26.49% (p<0.001) in the CON group, and a similar elevation was found from 1.42×109 to 1.81×109 cell/L, an increase of 27.46% (p<0.001) in the HCA group. There was no significance in mean lymphocyte levels between the HCA and CON groups during the process. These results demonstrate that both groups had similar physiologic response to dexamethasone whether they had HCA or not.