"We looked at a group of women with pregnancies between 18 to 22 weeks. These women had a condition called incompetent cervix, where their cervix dilates in the absence of labor," says Carl P. Weiner, M.D., professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The researchers tested the amniotic fluid for four distinct proteins they previously had linked to inflammation, a known cause of preterm labor. "Women with these four protein biomarkers went on to deliver early even though their cervix was sewn shut. And, for the first time, our research identified another protein biomarker in the amniotic fluid, this one linked to decidual hemorrhage or bleeding into the lining of the uterus," explains Dr. Weiner who is a maternal/fetal medicine specialist at the Center for Advanced Fetal Care at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "Women with the biomarker for decidual hemorrhage also went on to deliver early, despite efforts to stop preterm labor."
Researchers believe these protein biomarkers will not only allow doctors to predict whose preterm labor can be stopped, but that the identification of these proteins opens a window of understanding into the causes of preterm labor. With that knowledge, they hope to develop more effective treatments for preterm birth.
Dr. Weiner says,
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Contact: Sharon Boston
sboston@umm.edu
410-328-8919
University of Maryland Medical Center
1-Mar-2005