Pregnant Women In Preterm Labor Research Articles

Relationship between Urogenital Culture Positivity and Threatened Preterm Labor in Pregnant Women

Relationship between Urogenital Culture Positivity and Threatened Preterm Labor in Pregnant Women

Zonulin: can it be used as a marker for preterm labor?

Inflammation has been reported to increase zonulin levels, a protein that regulates intestinal permeability. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of serum zonulin levels with preterm labor in pregnant women. A total of 180 pregnant women between 32-42 weeks of gestation were included in the study. Among those whose gestational week is less than 37, preterm labor (group 1), normal course pregnant (group 2), and gestational weeks between 37-42 pregnant women with normal course (group 3), term labor (group 4) groups were formed. Zonulin levels were not statistically different between groups. Among the inflammation markers, only C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher in group 1 compared to groups 2 and 3. There were a total of 18/90 (20%) pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) in the delivery groups. The mean zonulin level was higher in those with PROM (155.3±50.2 ng/ml) than those without PROM (128.8±59 ng/ml). However, there was no statistically significant difference between them. In conclusion, serum zonulin levels were not useful as a marker for predicting preterm labor. However, examining large-scale studies about the relationship between PROM and zonulin is still needed.

Mechanistic Framework to Predict Maternal-Placental-Fetal Pharmacokinetics of Nifedipine Employing Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling Approach.

Nifedipine is used for treating mild to severe hypertension and preventing preterm labor in pregnant women. Nevertheless, concerns about nifedipine fetal exposure and safety are always raised. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a maternal-placental-fetal nifedipine physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model and apply the model to predict maternal, placental, and fetal exposure to nifedipine at different pregnancy stages. A nifedipine PBPK model was verified with nonpregnant data and extended to the pregnant population after the inclusion of the fetoplacental multicompartment model that accounts for the placental tissue and different fetal organs within the Simcyp Simulator version 22. Model parametrization involved scaling nifedipine transplacental clearance based on Caco-2 permeability, and fetal hepatic clearance was obtained from in vitro to in vivo extrapolation encompassing cytochrome P450 3A7 and 3A4 activities. Predicted concentration profiles were compared with in vivo observations and the transplacental transfer results were evaluated using 2-fold criteria. The PBPK model predicted a mean cord-to-maternal plasma ratio of 0.98 (range, 0.86-1.06) at term, which agrees with experimental observations of 0.78 (range, 0.59-0.93). Predicted nifedipine exposure was 1.4-, 2.0-, and 3.0-fold lower at 15, 27, and 39 weeks of gestation when compared with nonpregnant exposure, respectively. This innovative PBPK model can be applied to support maternal and fetal safety assessment for nifedipine at various stages of pregnancy.

조기진통 임부에 관한 국내 연구동향

조기진통 임부에 관한 국내 연구동향

Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Women with Metabolic Syndrome and Substance Use Disorder.

Metabolic syndrome amplifies the risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm labor in pregnant women. Similarly, women with substance use disorder have worsened obstetric and birth outcomes. Despite these two conditions being major healthcare disparities in Appalachia, the health outcomes of this cohort have not been studied thus far. This study looks at the health outcomes of this cohort. In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 27,955 mothers who delivered at Cabell Huntington Hospital between January 2010 and November 2021. We implemented Chi-square tests to determine the associations and multiple logistic regression methods for comparison after controlling for other factors, and found that MetS, together with SUD, significantly increases the risk as well as the number of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes (p-value < 0.001), preeclampsia (p-value < 0.001), premature rupture (p-value < 0.001), preterm labor (p-value < 0.001), and newborn disorder (p-value < 0.001) compared to the women who had none or had either MetS or SUD alone. Women with both metabolic syndrome and substance abuse had worsened pregnancy and neonatal outcomes compared to women with metabolic syndrome or SUD alone. In conclusion, analysis of all the variables is crucial to strategically planning and implementing health interventions that will positively influence the health outcome of the pregnant woman as well as the child.

Measuring Cervical Length and Uterocervical Angle as a Tool to Predict Preterm Labor in Pregnant Women

Measuring Cervical Length and Uterocervical Angle as a Tool to Predict Preterm Labor in Pregnant Women

Effect of nifedipine with and without sildenafil citrate for the management of preterm labor in pregnant women: A randomized clinical trial.

Preterm labor is one of the main causes of neonatal mortality and its treatment is still challenging. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of nifedipine (Nif) with and without sildenafil citrate (SC) for the treatment of preterm labor in pregnant women. In this clinical trial study, 126 pregnant women referred to the Fatemieh hospital, Hamadan, Iran with a complaint of preterm labor were evaluated. Participants were randomly divided into 2 groups of Nif 20 mg orally (single dose), then 10 mg every 6-hr, and at the same time vaginal SC 25 mg every 8 hr (Nif + SC) or Nif alone. Treatment was continued for 48-72 hr if uterine contractions did not resolve in both groups. Delivery rates at the time of hospitalization and neonatal outcome were compared between the 2 groups. No statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 study groups in terms of mean age, gestational age, body mass index, and parity. 76.2% of Nif + SC participants in the first 72 hr of hospitalization and 57.2% of Nif participants remained without delivery (p = 0.02). The neonatal hospitalization rate of the Nif + SC group in the neonatal intensive care unit was 25.4% and in the Nif group was 42.9% (p = 0.03). Nif with SC is superior to Nif alone in women at risk of preterm labor due to increasing gestational age and better neonatal outcomes.

Copper and zinc deficiency to the risk of preterm labor in pregnant women: a case-control study

ObjectiveThe present study explored the relationship between maternal copper and zinc levels and preterm labor.DesignThe design of the present study was a case-control. Two groups were matched in terms of early-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), pregnancy and childbirth rating, education level, income, and employment status. Blood samples were taken from mothers after meeting the inclusion criteria when admitted to the maternity ward to check copper and zinc serum levels. Demographic and midwifery data were also collected using a questionnaire and patient records. The data were analyzed in SPSS26 using independent-samples T-test, chi-square, Fisher exact test, and regression analysis, and the p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.SettingBohloul Hospital in Gonabad, Iran.ParticipantsThe subjects were 86 pregnant women visiting the hospital in two cases (preterm delivery) and control (term delivery) groups.ResultsThe mean serum level of zinc in the case group (preterm delivery) (44.97 ± 13.06 µg/dl) was significantly lower than the control group (term) (52.63 ± 21.51 µg/dl), and the mean serum level of copper in the case group (149.82 ± 53.13 µg/dl) was significantly lower than the control group (183.97 ± 71.40 µg/dl).ConclusionAs the findings showed, copper and zinc serum levels in mothers with preterm delivery were significantly lower than mothers with term delivery, which shows the biological role of these elements in the pathogenesis of preterm delivery.

Association between gestational diabetes mellitus and preterm birth subtypes

Objective: To investigate the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preterm birth subtypes. Methods: Based on the cohort of pregnant women in Anqing Prefectural Hospital, the pregnant women who received prenatal screening in the first or second trimesters were recruited into baseline cohorts; and followed up for them was conducted until delivery, and the information about their pregnancy status and outcomes were obtained through electronic medical record system and questionnaire surveys. The log-binomial regression model was used to explore the association between GDM and preterm birth [iatrogenic preterm birth, spontaneous preterm birth (preterm premature rupture of membranes and preterm labor)]. For multiple confounding factors, the propensity score correction model was used to compute the adjusted association. Results: Among the 2 031 pregnant women with a singleton delivery, the incidence of GDM and preterm birth were 10.0% (204 cases) and 4.4% (90 cases) respectively. The proportions of iatrogenic preterm birth and spontaneous preterm birth in the GDM group (n=204) were 1.5% and 5.9% respectively, while the proportions in non-GDM group (n=1 827) were 0.9% and 3.2% respectively, and the difference in the proportion of spontaneous preterm birth between the two groups was significant (P=0.048). Subtypes of spontaneous preterm were further analyzed, and the results showed that the proportions of preterm premature rupture of membranes and preterm labor in the GDM group were 4.9% and 1.0% respectively, while the proportions in the non-GDM group were 2.1% and 1.1% respectively. It showed that the risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes in GDM pregnant women was 2.34 times (aRR=2.34, 95%CI: 1.16-4.69) higher than that in non-GDM pregnant women. Conclusions: Our results showed that GDM might increase the risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes. No significant increase in the proportion of preterm labor in pregnant women with GDM was found.

Uterine Artery Doppler Ultrasound Measurement of Preterm Labor in Pregnant Women with Threatened Preterm Labor

Introduction: One of the most common causes of hospitalisation during pregnancy is preterm labour. Nearly one-fifth of women hospitalised for preterm labour. The frequency of preterm births is about 12%–13% in the USA and 5%–9% in many other developed countries. One of the main causes of preterm delivery is preterm premature rupture of membranes, while pre-eclampsia and foetal growth restriction (FGR) can be identified as other common causes that could lead to such complications. Objective: to assess the value of uterine artery doppler ultrasound measured of preterm labor in pregnant women with threatened preterm labor. Methods: We performed a single-center cohort study was carried out at Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital &amp; Jalalabad Clinic, Modhushohid, Sylhet, Bangladesh from January to December 2020. Total 141 women were selected for the present study after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. All participating women signed informed written consent. The study included singleton pregnant women who present to the casualty at gestations between 28 and 34 weeks of gestation with symptoms and signs of threatened preterm labor (defined as presence of at least one uterine contraction per 10 minutes, lasting at least 30 seconds, with a cervical dilatation ≤ 3 cm, and a cervical effacement &lt; 80%). On admission, during obstetric ultrasound scanning, bilateral uterine artery Doppler ultrasound velocimetry was performed using the transabdominal technique. Uterine artery Doppler scans were both conducted at the peak of uterine contraction and in between contractions when the uterus is fully relaxed. Results: Total 141 women presenting with threatened preterm labor were included in the study. The mean gestational age at presentation was 30.86 ± 1.71 weeks (range: 28 – 33.86 weeks). Among 45 (31.9%) delivered within 7 days, while 96 (68.1%) delivered after 7 days of presentation. The mean uterine artery pulsatility index (UA-PI) measured both basally and at the peak contraction were significantly higher among women who delivered within 7 days. ROC curves showed that both basal and contraction UA-PI were significant predictors of delivery within 7 days. There was a significant negative correlation between contraction UA-PI and birth weight. Conclusion: Uterine artery Doppler ultrasound velocimetry measured in women with threatened preterm labor, seems to be a significant predictor of actual preterm labor within 7 days of admission.

A prospective observational study to assess serial salivary estriol measurements during third trimester of pregnancy as a marker for predicting spontaneous preterm labor in pregnant women

Introduction and Aim: Preterm labor is a matter of concern in developed and developing nations, rural and urban areas as well. In this context a relatively cheaper biochemical marker in a specimen which can be easily collected from pregnant women will be beneficial in rural areas. Hence, in this context salivary estriol was selected for studying its diagnostic potential. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted in two sittings (1st sitting at 26 to 29 weeks and 2nd after 2-4 weeks of gestation) among pregnant women (n= 206) who attended T.D. Medical College for antenatal check-up. The salivary samples were collected and estriol (E3) assayed by ELISA. The pregnant women were followed up till delivery to know the type, as term (n=194) or preterm (n=12). MedCalc was used for statistical analysis. Results: Reference interval of increase in salivary E3 over a period of 2 - 4 weeks in pregnant women during 26 – 32 gestational weeks who delivered at term by nonparametric method was 16 to 1468 pg/ml. Gestational period wise reference intervals of salivary estriol at 26- 28, 29 – 30 and 31 to 32 weeks were 74-3227, 119 -3422 and 203-4346 pg/ml respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the increase in salivary estriol among different time intervals (p=0.001). Diagnostic cut off values of single measurements of salivary E3 and increase in salivary estriol between 2-4 weeks were 492, 561 and 159 pg/ml without acceptable diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion: Serial rise in salivary estriol at 2-4 weeks interval can be utilized but not a single measurement to monitor fetoplacental wellbeing. The high NPV of serial rise in salivary estriol (E3) suggests its usefulness to exclude chances for preterm labor.

Ritodrine-induced rhabdomyolysis and psychiatric symptoms: a case report and literature review

BackgroundRitodrine hydrochloride, a β2-adrenergic agonist, has been widely used in Asia and Europe to treat preterm labor in pregnant women. It has some typical side effects, such as palpitations, pulmonary edema, and hypokalemia. Here, we report a case of rhabdomyolysis and psychiatric symptoms might be associated with intravenous ritodrine.Case presentationA 32-year-old Chinese primigravida woman who was pregnant with twins by in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer was diagnosed with placenta previa and threatened abortion at 21 gestational weeks (GW). The patient was then treated with ritodrine hydrochloride. The initial dose of ritodrine was 150 μg/min, gradually increasing to 360 μg/min at 235/7 GW and 400 μg/min at 271/7 GW. Magnesium sulfate was added to the ritodrine regimen at 215/7 GW in dosage of 1-2 g/h. Psychiatric symptoms appeared at 245/7, 265/7, and 273/7 GW, manifesting as depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies. Severe muscle pain in her limbs and general weakness appeared after six weeks of ritodrine administration, which might have been a sign of rhabdomyolysis resulting from ritodrine administration. After ceasing the administration of ritodrine, the muscle pain and relevant data from laboratory tests on the patient were significantly improved, and her mood was stable. It is worth noting that this is the first time to report psychiatric symptoms may associated with the administration of ritodrine. In addition, we reviewed and analyzed six reported cases of rhabdomyolysis caused by ritodrine.ConclusionOur results suggest that we should pay more attention to the risk of rhabdomyolysis and psychiatric symptoms induced by intravenous ritodrine hydrochloride, especially in patients with a history of neuromuscular disorder, or concomitant use of magnesium sulfate.

Relationship Between Vitamin D Level and Preterm Labor in Pregnant Women in Zahedan, Iran

Background: Preterm labor (PL) is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Different factors can result in preterm labor, including maternal vitamin D. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the level of vitamin D in pregnant women with PL. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 156 pregnant women (52 cases with PL and 104 controls without PL) in Ali Ibn Abitaleb Hospital, Zahedan, Iran, in 2018. Results: The age was 30.92 ± 5.21 and 29.39 ± 4.86 years in the case and control groups, respectively. There were no significant (P-value &gt; 0.05) differences between the two groups in baseline variables. Vitamin D supplement consumption (P-value = 0.128), sun exposure time (P-value = 0.304), history of admission in pregnancy (P-value = 0.608), and history of vaginal infection (P-value = 0.100) were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean vitamin D level was 30.88 and 31.93 ng/mL in pregnant women with and without PL, respectively, with no significant difference (P-value = 0.591). The mean babies' weight was significantly (P-value &gt; 0.001) higher in the control group than in PL women (3338.75 ± 466.16 vs. 2655.76 ± 393.36 g). Conclusions: Although this study showed no association between vitamin D levels and PL, abnormal vitamin D levels might be related to PL in pregnant women with other comorbidities or risk factors.

Erken doğum yapan kadınlarda sistemik immün-inflamasyon indeksinin prediktif değeri

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) could predict the development of preterm labor in pregnant women.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Pregnant women aged 18 years and over who presented to our clinic with spontaneous labor between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021, had intact membranes, and had a single living fetus were retrospectively evaluated. The women were divided into two groups, preterm and term delivery, according to the week of delivery. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the women were assessed. The patients’ platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and SII (neutrophil count x platelet count/lymphocyte count) were calculated.&#x0D; Results: The study included 171 women with preterm labor and 173 women with healthy term labor. The PLR, NLR, and SII values were statistically significantly higher in the preterm group than in the term group. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that SII (odds ratio [OR]: 3.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.21–10.07) was an independent predictor of the development of preterm labor. We found that the power of SII to predict preterm labor (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.792) was higher than that of NLR (AUC: 0.725) or PLR (AUC: 0.716) alone. SII values higher than 789.3 predicted preterm labor with 68.4% sensitivity and 81.5% specificity.&#x0D; Conclusion: We found that SII was more valuable than NLR and PLR in the early detection of preterm labor. SII can help identify pregnant women at risk of developing preterm labor in the early stages of pregnancy.

High Maternal Cortisol Serum Levels as A Risk Factor for Preterm Labor

Preterm delivery is the leading cause of death for children under 5 years of age worldwide. Preterm delivery is one of the significant factors causing neonatal death due to complications associated with preterm birth. Complications of preterm delivery account for about 16% of all deaths in children under 5 years, and 35% of total deaths of newborns. There are several broad outlines of factors associated with preterm labor, including stress, inflammation or infection, overdistention of the uterus and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Several studies show the role of cortisol caused by these factors. This study aimed to assess the relationship of maternal serum cortisol levels with the risk of preterm delivery. This study used a case-control design conducted at Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar from May to August 2021. A sample of 50 women was obtained which was divided into case groups and control groups. Serum cortisol examination used a 3 mL blood sample which was then examined using the ELISA method at the Integrated Biomedical Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University. The results were analyzed using the chi square test. There was no significant difference in the characteristics of the two groups. There was a significant relationship between high serum cortisol levels and the incidence of preterm labor in pregnant women (p &lt; 0.001; 95% CI; 2.768-38.22; OR 10.29). High cortisol serum levels can increase the risk of preterm labor 10 times in pregnant women when compared to pregnant women with low cortisol blood serum levels.

The anterior uterocervical angle as a new ultrasound marker of preterm labor in pregnant women with a history of endocrine and combined infertility

In women with endocrine and concomitant infertility there is a high frequency of the threat of termination of pregnancy at different periods, most often after stimulation of ovulation or as a result of assisted reproductive technologies, due to the formation of insufficiency of the luteal phase of the cycle in combination with hyperandrogenism and functional cervical insufficiency in every third pregnant woman. Regardless of the reasons, today there are no clear and early diagnostic criteria for this complication of pregnancy.Research objective: to determine the informational significance of the uterocervical angle for predicting premature birth in women with a singleton pregnancy and a history of infertility. Materials and methods. 127 women with singleton pregnancies aged 20–49 years underwent ultrasound at 12–14 and 16–20 weeks of gestation. The distribution of pregnant women into groups was based on the infertility factor: group I included 35 women with a history of endocrine infertility, group II included 37 pregnant women with a history of tubal-peritoneal infertility, group III included 25 women with a history of combined infertility (tubal-peritoneal infertility with endocrine), IV group (control) consist of 30 healthy pregnant women without a history of infertility.Results. The frequency of the uterocervical angle &gt; 96° in the first half of pregnancy was in 31.4% of pregnant women with a history of endocrine infertility, in 10.8% of women with tubal-peritoneal infertility and in 32% of patients with a history of combined infertility. Preterm birth occurred in 45.4% of women with a history of endocrine infertility, in 75% of pregnant women with tubal-peritoneal infertility, in 62.5% of women with a history of combined infertility when the uterinecervical angle &gt; 96° was detected in the first half of pregnancy.Conclusions. The uterocervical angle detected by ultrasound cervicometry in the first half of pregnancy in combination with other cervical parameters (length, state of the internal pharynx, etc.) improves the diagnosis of cervical insufficiency.

Ciclesonide activates glucocorticoid signaling in neonatal rat lung but does not trigger adverse effects in the cortex and cerebellum

Synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs) such as dexamethasone (DEX), while used to mitigate inflammation and disease progression in premature infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), are also associated with significant adverse neurologic effects such as reductions in myelination and abnormalities in neuroanatomical development. Ciclesonide (CIC) is a sGC prodrug approved for asthma treatment that exhibits limited systemic side effects. Carboxylesterases enriched in the lower airways convert CIC to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist des-CIC. We therefore examined whether CIC would likewise activate GR in neonatal lung but have limited adverse extra-pulmonary effects, particularly in the developing brain. Neonatal rats were administered subcutaneous injections of CIC, DEX or vehicle from postnatal days 1–5 (PND1-PND5). Systemic effects linked to DEX exposure, including reduced body and brain weight, were not observed in CIC treated neonates. Furthermore, CIC did not trigger the long-lasting reduction in myelin basic protein expression in the cerebral cortex nor cerebellar size caused by neonatal DEX exposure. Conversely, DEX and CIC were both effective at inducing the expression of select GR target genes in neonatal lung, including those implicated in lung-protective and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, CIC is a promising, novel candidate drug to treat or prevent BPD in neonates given its activation of GR in neonatal lung and limited adverse neurodevelopmental effects. Furthermore, since sGCs such as DEX administered to pregnant women in pre-term labor can adversely affect fetal brain development, the neurological-sparing properties of CIC, make it an attractive alternative for DEX to treat pregnant women severely ill with respiratory illness, such as with asthma exacerbations or COVID-19 infections.

Clinical findings, treatments and obstetric results of pregnant women diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019

Background/Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which causes acute respiratory disease, is an emergency that concerns global public health. Limited data are available on coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women. We aimed to evaluate the characteristic features and perinatal results of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a Training and Research Hospital. Clinical records and perinatal results of 84 pregnant women and 46 newborns diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 in a pandemic hospital on the Asian side of Istanbul between March 29-June 30, 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The mean maternal age of the patients was 28.8 (5.6) (17-43) years. The most common symptoms were cough (41.7%), shortness of breath (26.2%), fever (19%), myalgia and malaise (19%). Fifteen percent of patients were in the first trimester, 20.2% were in the second and 64.3% were in the third trimester. Sixty-two percent of the pregnant women were PCR positive and 38.1% had clinical or radiological findings. CT was performed in 27 patients, and lung findings were observed in 23. Among all, 29.8% of the patients received inpatient treatment and 70.2% received outpatient treatment or follow-up. Medical treatment was given to 42.9% of the patients. Sixty percent of the hospitalized pregnant women were admitted to the adult intensive care unit and 3.6% (3/84) resulted in maternal death. Thirteen newborns (28.2%) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Fever was seen in 6.5% (3/46), dyspnea, in 15.2% (7/46), and pneumonia, in 13% (6/46) of the hospitalized newborns. PCR was performed only in newborns admitted to the neonatal unit. All neonatal PCR tests were negative. Death due to sepsis was seen in 3 newborns. Conclusion: COVID-19 can cause preterm labor in pregnant women. Lymphocyte, thrombocyte, and CRP values may be useful in clinical follow-up and treatment. PCR positivity decrease and CT findings increase with clinical severity.

Perinatal Gram-Positive Bacteria Exposure Elicits Distinct Cytokine Responses In Vitro.

During pregnancy, infections caused by the gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), Streptococcus agalacticae (S. agalacticae), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are major reasons for preterm labor, neonatal prematurity, meningitis, or sepsis. Here, we propose cytokine responses to bacterial infections by the immature perinatal immune system as central players in the pathogenesis of preterm birth and neonatal sepsis. We aimed to close the gap in knowledge about such cytokine responses by stimulating freshly isolated umbilical blood mononuclear cells (UBMC) with lysates of E. faecalis, S. agalacticae, and S. aureus collected from pregnant women in preterm labor. Bacterial lysates and, principally, S. aureus and S. agalacticae distinctly triggered most of the eleven inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, TH1/TH2 cytokines, and chemokines quantified in UBMC culture media. Chemokines depicted the most robust induction. Among them, MIP-1β was further enhanced in UBMC from female compered to male newborn infants. Due to its stability and high levels, we investigated the diagnostic value of IL-8. IL-8 was critically upregulated in cord blood of preterm neonates suffering from infections compared to gestational age-matched controls. Our results provide novel clues about perinatal immunity, underscoring a potential value of IL-8 for the timely detection of infections and suggesting that MIP-1β constitutes an early determinant of sex-specific immunity, which may contribute, e.g., to male’s vulnerability to preterm birth.

Intestinal Dysbiosis As a Possible Predictor of Very Early Preterm Labor in Pregnant Women With Metabolic Syndrome.

The work assessed the state of the intestinal microbiocenosis in 52 puerperae at the in whom the pregnancy developed against the background of the metabolic syndrome. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was determined according to the criteria approved by the World Health Organization for pregnant women. The state of intestinal microbiocenosis was assessed by a bacteriological examination of feces immediately after delivery. The content of the main representatives of the obligate microflora (bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, native intestinal bacilli, fecal streptococci) and facultative (conditionally pathogenic) microorganisms (representatives of the genus Prоteus, Klebsiella, pathogenic strains of E. coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Clostridium difficile, Candida fungi) was determined. Cultures were made on appropriate growth media.At the time of birth, all patients of group I showed signs of intestinal microbiocenosis disorder. At the same time, 13 (54.2%) puerperae were diagnosed signs of dysbiosis of II degree, 9 (37.5%) with signs of III degree, which were generally characterized by a significant decrease in the content of the main representatives of obligate microflora (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, Fecal streptococci) with simultaneous high contamination of Candida albicans and Clostridium difficile. So, it can be considered as a possible predictor of very early preterm birth in women with MS. In pregnant women with MS, but who gave timely birth (group II), dysbiotic disorders were detected to a lesser extent. Thus, in 13 (46.4%) patients, initial signs of intestinal dysbiosis (first degree) were detected in 4 (14.3%) patients (second degree). In 11 (39.3%) puerperae of group II, microbial indices indicated normal eubiotic ratios.