Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Manuel S. Vidal, Ryan C. V. Lintao, Mary Elise L. Severino, Ourlad Alzeus G. Tantengco, Ramkumar Menon
Summary: Survivors of preterm birth face various disabilities, and addressing the rates of low birth weight, neonatal and maternal morbidities and mortalities is crucial. Research has provided theories on risk factors and clinical manifestations, but there is a lack of biomarkers for early diagnosis. To overcome current limitations, an integrated approach studying the network interaction between different tissues and organs is needed.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kyong-No Lee, Kyo Hoon Park, Kwanghee Ahn, Eun Mi Im, Eunji Oh, Iseop Cho
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the association between the levels of various extracellular matrix (ECM)-related and serine protease proteins in amniotic fluid (AF) and spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) and intra-amniotic inflammation/microbial invasion in women with preterm labor (PTL). The study included 252 women with singleton pregnancies who underwent amniocentesis. The levels of kallistatin, lumican, MMP-2, SPARC, TGFBI, and uPA in AF were measured. The results showed that altered levels of these proteins were significantly associated with the occurrence of SPTB and intra-amniotic inflammation/microbial invasion.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elizabeth Prairie, France Cote, Marika Tsakpinoglou, Michael Mina, Christiane Quiniou, Kelycia Leimert, David Olson, Sylvain Chemtob
Summary: Preterm birth is a major public health concern due to its association with inflammation, especially IL-6, which plays important roles in the timing of childbirth and fetal tissue damage. Current treatments focus on stopping contractions but do not directly address the maternal inflammation that contributes to premature birth.
CYTOKINE & GROWTH FACTOR REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Teresa Cobo, Victoria Aldecoa, Magdalena Holeckova, Ctirad Andrys, Xavier Filella, Bo Jacobsson, Marian Kacerovsky
Summary: The study validated the use of an automated method to measure AF IL-6 concentrations in women with PTL, showing good agreement with traditional ELISA method. The predictive model using AF IL-6 demonstrated good diagnostic performance in identifying women at high risk of spontaneous delivery within 7 days.
FETAL DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kyo Hoon Park, Hyeon Ji Kim, Young Eun Lee, Yu Mi Kim, Ji Eun Lee, Subeen Hong
Summary: A study identified nine proteins in amniotic fluid that are independently associated with a higher risk of subsequent spontaneous preterm birth in women with preterm labor. These proteins are primarily related to immune, inflammation, and extracellular matrix pathways. The severity of risk for spontaneous preterm birth is closely linked to the expression levels of these proteins.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Jaroslav Stranik, Marian Kacerovsky, Ctirad Andrys, Ondrej Soucek, Radka Bolehovska, Magdalena Holeckova, Jana Matulova, Bo Jacobsson, Ivana Musilova
Summary: This study aimed to determine the concentration of IL-6 in cervical fluid in women with PTL. Results showed that women with intra-amniotic infection and sterile intra-amniotic inflammation had higher concentrations of IL-6 in cervical fluid compared to those without intra-amniotic inflammation, indicating an association between intra-amniotic inflammation and elevated IL-6 levels in cervical fluid.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ester del Barco, Clara Franco-Jarava, Mireia Vargas, Nerea Maiz, Silvia Arevalo, Maria Angeles Sanchez, Maria Teresa Aviles, Carlota Rodo, Manel Mendoza, Maria Goya, Manuel Hernandez-Gonzalez, Elena Carreras
Summary: This study aimed to establish the normal reference range for IL-6 levels in the amniotic fluid and identify factors that may affect this value. The results showed that log(10) IL-6 values followed a normal distribution and were independent of gestational age, maternal age, body mass index, ethnicity, smoking status, parity, method of conception, and diabetes mellitus. This study provides a normal reference range for IL-6 levels in the amniotic fluid that can be used in future studies.
ACTA OBSTETRICIA ET GYNECOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jeong-Won Sohn, Eun-Saem Choi, Chan-Wook Park, Kyung-Chul Moon, Joong-Shin Park, Jong-Kwan Jun
Summary: The study reveals that patients with PTL and preterm-PROM at lower gestational ages are more likely to have IAI, especially severe IAI, leading to a shorter latency to delivery.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gaurav Bhatti, Roberto Romero, Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Roger Pique-Regi, Percy Pacora, Eunjung Jung, Lami Yeo, Chaur-Dong Hsu, Mahendra Kavdia, Adi L. Tarca
Summary: The study found significant differences in cell-free RNA expression in amniotic fluid samples from women who experienced spontaneous preterm delivery, with changes associated with immune and inflammatory processes, as well as increased expression of single-cell RNA-Seq signatures of immune cells with imminent delivery. AF transcriptomic prediction models captured these effects and accurately predicted delivery within 24 hours of amniocentesis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Esha Bhattacharjee, Arindam Maitra
Summary: Preterm birth is a major cause of neonatal mortality and health complications, and understanding its genetic underpinnings can improve prediction and enhance biological mechanism understanding. Although recent genome-based studies have identified genetic loci related to PTB, inconsistencies and lack of functional validation across studies remain a challenge.
NPJ GENOMIC MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Luguang Zuo, Yuhuan Xu, Shuai Du, Xiaoying Li, Tong Zhao, Yuhong Zhang, Zhenkui Liu, Shutie Li
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the value of serum amyloid A (SAA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in predicting the risk of spontaneous preterm birth (SPB). The results showed that the levels of SAA and IL-6 were higher in the SPB case group compared to the control group and had good predictive value for SPB risk.
CLINICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
I. Sapantzoglou, V. Pergialiotis, I. Prokopakis, A. Douligeris, S. Stavros, P. Panagopoulos, M. Theodora, P. Antsaklis, G. Daskalakis
Summary: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of antibiotic therapy on preterm birth rates in women diagnosed with amniotic fluid sludge. Four retrospective cohort studies were included, involving a total of 369 women. The results showed that there was no significant difference in preterm birth rates between women who received antibiotics and those who did not, regardless of gestational age. However, the included studies had high statistical heterogeneity, indicating a need for larger sample sizes and more well-designed studies.
ARCHIVES OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ondrej Soucek, Marian Kacerovsky, Jaroslav Stranik, Ivana Musilova, Lenka Pliskova, Radka Bolehovska, Jana Matulova, Ctirad Andrys
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic indices of MIP-1 alpha in predicting intra-amniotic infection in PTL pregnancies. It found a significant elevation of MIP-1 alpha in amniotic fluid in the presence of intra-amniotic infection. However, no significant difference in MIP-1 alpha concentrations was observed in cervical fluid.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Developmental Biology
Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Jose Galaz, Derek Miller, Marcelo Farias-Jofre, Zhenjie Liu, Marcia Arenas-Hernandez, Valeria Garcia-Flores, Zachary Shaffer, Jonathan M. Greenberg, Kevin R. Theis, Roberto Romero
Summary: This review summarizes the immune mechanisms involved in preterm birth, including intra-amniotic inflammation and novel etiologies. Intra-amniotic infection can be treated with antibiotics, while sterile inflammation may require anti-inflammatory drugs. Recent evidence suggests that fetal T-cell activation may be a new trigger for idiopathic preterm birth. Additionally, impaired maternal Treg function and the absence of homeostatic macrophages are also associated with preterm birth.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kisoon Dan, Ji Eun Lee, Dohyun Han, Sun Min Kim, Subeen Hong, Hyeon Ji Kim, Kyo Hoon Park
Summary: This study identified plasma biomarkers (IGFBP-2, PSG4, and LXN) that are predictive of cerclage failure in patients with cervical insufficiency. The combination of these biomarkers significantly improved predictability, outperforming any single biomarker. These findings highlight the potential of using a multi-biomarker panel for predicting poor pregnancy outcomes following rescue cerclage.