Infection's Role in Preterm Labor and Delivery
Author Information
Author(s): Piotr Laudanski, Piotr Pierzynski, Tadeusz Laudanski
Primary Institution: Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
Hypothesis
Subclinical infections are a major cause of preterm labor and delivery.
Conclusion
New 'omics' technologies may help identify biomarkers for early detection of infections related to preterm labor.
Supporting Evidence
- Up to 80% of women who deliver before 30 weeks have evidence of bacterial infection.
- Chronic inflammation rather than acute is linked to preterm delivery.
- New proteomic methods can identify biomarkers for infections before symptoms appear.
Takeaway
Some women go into labor early without obvious signs of infection, but hidden infections can cause problems. New tests might help find these infections sooner.
Methodology
The study used a novel proteomic mini-array assay to measure chemokine levels in women during preterm and term delivery.
Limitations
The study focused on a relatively small number of factors and excluded patients with clinical signs of infection.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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