This report follows a presentation at 2005 25th Annual Meeting of Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine.
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Pentraxin 3 in plasma and vaginal fluid in women with preterm delivery†
Article first published online: 9 JAN 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2006.01225.x
RCOG 2007 BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Issue
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Volume 114, Issue 2, pages 143–147, February 2007
Additional Information
How to Cite
Assi, F., Fruscio, R., Bonardi, C., Ghidini, A., Allavena, P., Mantovani, A. and Locatelli, A. (2007), Pentraxin 3 in plasma and vaginal fluid in women with preterm delivery. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 114: 143–147. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2006.01225.x
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Publication History
- Issue published online: 9 JAN 2007
- Article first published online: 9 JAN 2007
- Accepted 19 November 2006.
- Abstract
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Keywords:
- Intrauterine infection;
- preterm labor;
- PROM;
- PTX3
Objective To investigate the role of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), an acute-phase protein produced by cells of innate immunity in response to inflammatory signals, in spontaneous preterm delivery (PTD).
Design Cohort study.
Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Milano-Bicocca.
Population Forty-six pregnant women with preterm rupture of membranes (n= 33) or preterm labour with intact membranes (n= 13) delivering at <34 weeks of gestation and 34 women with uncomplicated pregnancies (control group).
Methods We compared plasma and vaginal PTX3 levels between study group and controls, and in women with versus women without clinical or histologic evidence of intrauterine infection using statistical analysis.
Main outcome measures Peak PTX3 concentration.
Results Peak PTX3 concentration in plasma samples of study group was significantly higher than that in controls (1175, 0–9630 versus 650, 0–1450 pg/ml; P= 0.0003) but not in vaginal swabs (1660, 0–6604 versus 457, 0–4649 pg/ml; P= 0.386). PTX3 levels in plasma were significantly higher in women with placenta vasculopathy compared with that in women with no placental lesions (2910, 0–9630 versus 636, 0–5692 pg/ml; P= 0.04). Peak plasma and vaginal PTX3 concentrations were not significantly different in women with versus women without intrauterine infection (1168, 0–7110 versus 845, 0–9630 pg/ml, P= 0.34 and 1975, 471–6604 versus 1919, 0–4150 pg/ml, P= 0.38, respectively).
Conclusions Spontaneous PTD is associated with a significant increase of maternal plasma concentrations of PTX3. PTX3 seems to be a marker of placenta vasculopathy rather than intrauterine infection.