OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify predictive biochemical markers for preterm labor. METHODS: In this prospective study we included 225 asymptomatic Caucasian women consecutively enrolled at 24 weeks of gestation. The following data were collected only once at 24 weeks of gestation: vaginal pH, vaginal fFN, cervical and serum concentration of IL-6, IL-8 and TNFalpha, maternal blood serum, ferritin. Student's t-test, the chi(2)-test and multiple linear regression were used as statistical methods. RESULTS: There were no differences between the age of patients, parity and gestational age at sampling between women who delivered at term and those who delivered pre-term (<37 weeks' gestation). There was a significant increase of cervical IL-6 (pre-term 608+/-1595 pg/l vs. at term 58.9+/-112 pg/l) and serum ferritin (pre-term microg/l 74.4+/-1.1 vs. at term 26.3+/-56.5 microg/l) in pregnant women who delivered pre-term (P<0.05). No differences in cervical IL-8 and cervical TNFalpha between pre-term and term deliveries were found. Multiple linear regression confirmed that the vaginal pH value and cervical fFN test were the best predictive biochemical markers of pre-term birth (standardized coefficient Beta=0.33 and 0.22, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In order to evaluate pregnancies for pre-term labor, the presence of pH>4.5 and a positive fFN test seems to be predictive of subsequent pre-term delivery.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify predictive biochemical markers for preterm labor. METHODS: In this prospective study we included 225 asymptomatic Caucasian women consecutively enrolled at 24 weeks of gestation. The following data were collected only once at 24 weeks of gestation: vaginal pH, vaginal fFN, cervical and serum concentration of IL-6, IL-8 and TNFalpha, maternal blood serum, ferritin. Student's t-test, the chi(2)-test and multiple linear regression were used as statistical methods. RESULTS: There were no differences between the age of patients, parity and gestational age at sampling between women who delivered at term and those who delivered pre-term (<37 weeks' gestation). There was a significant increase of cervical IL-6 (pre-term 608+/-1595 pg/l vs. at term 58.9+/-112 pg/l) and serum ferritin (pre-term microg/l 74.4+/-1.1 vs. at term 26.3+/-56.5 microg/l) in pregnant women who delivered pre-term (P<0.05). No differences in cervical IL-8 and cervical TNFalpha between pre-term and term deliveries were found. Multiple linear regression confirmed that the vaginal pH value and cervical fFN test were the best predictive biochemical markers of pre-term birth (standardized coefficient Beta=0.33 and 0.22, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In order to evaluate pregnancies for pre-term labor, the presence of pH>4.5 and a positive fFN test seems to be predictive of subsequent pre-term delivery.
Authors: Brandie D Taylor; Claudia B Holzman; Raina N Fichorova; Yan Tian; Nicole M Jones; Wenjiang Fu; Patricia K Senagore Journal: Hum Reprod Date: 2013-02-15 Impact factor: 6.918
Authors: Emmanuel Amabebe; Steven Reynolds; Xiaoya He; Robyn Wood; Victoria Stern; Dilly O C Anumba Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-09-12 Impact factor: 3.240