Proteomic analysis using protein chips to detect biomarkers in cervical and amniotic fluid in women with intra-amniotic inflammation.

Intra-amniotic inflammation (IAI) may cause preterm birth with poor neonatal out-come. To identify novel biomarkers for IAI, we analyzed amniotic and cervical fluid samples from 27 patients with signs of threatening preterm birth with or without IAI by surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). Seventeen proteins were significantly overexpressed in amniotic fluid from IAI cases and more often in women with preterm labor than those with rupture of membranes. Five of these were identified as human neutrophil protein 1-3, calgranulin A and B.