Assessment of the selected biochemical markers in predicting preterm labour

Objective: The differential diagnosis between preterm and false labour remains one of the most challenging issues in perinatal medicine. Aim: To assess the prognostic importance of the selected biochemical markers in predicting preterm labour. Material and methods: 74 patients hospitalized due to threatening preterm labour. 51 women gave birth prematurely; the remaining 23 were diagnosed with false labour. We used ELISA arrays to study 13 proteins: IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, BDNF, L-Selectin, E-Selectin, ICAM-1, PECAM, VCAM-1, MIP-1 delta (MIP-1d) MIP-3 beta (MIP-3b), Eotaxin-1, Eotaxin-2, BLC. Results: An increased risk of preterm labour should be expected when the serum concentration for: IGFBP-1 > 158.83 pg/ml (sens. 0.608, sp. 0.609, p < 0.0001); MIP-1d < 27.66 pg/ml (sens. 0.627, sp. 0.627, p = 0.021); BDNF > 36.54 pg/ml (sens. 0.630, sp. 0.647, p = 0.002); BLC > 25.46 pg/ml (sens. 0.588, sp. 0.609, p < 0.001); Eotaxin-1 > 1.16 pg/ml (sens. 0.633, sp. 0.652). Conclusion: There have been reported statistically significant differences in serum concentrations of selected proteins in women with preterm labour and false labour.