The response of WBC to dexamethasone treatment
In Fig. 2A, patients were divided into two groups according to the
histological chorioamnionitis. Both groups showed a similar significant
increase in mean WBC count. In Table 2, mean WBC count increased from
the baseline value of 9.36×109 to
12.24×109 cell/L by 30.77% (p<0.001) in the
CON group, and from 9.71×109 to
12.30×109 cell/L by 26.67% (p<0.001) in the
HCA group 24 hours after injection of the first dose of
dexamethasone. Then the level of mean WBC remained
stable in both groups for the next 24 hours, before declining to
11.24×109 cell/L in the CON group and to
11.41×109 cell/L in the HCA group 72 hours after the
first injection, without returning to the baseline level
(p<0.001 in both groups). The overall analysis with repeated
measure ANOVA revealed no significant differences between two treatment
groups at all the time points. These results indicate the same
physiologic leukocytosis after dexamethasone treatment in both CON and
HCA groups.