Implementation of First-trimester Screening and Prevention of Preeclampsia: a Stepped Wedge Cluster-randomized Trial in Asia.

BACKGROUND: This trial aimed to assess the efficacy, acceptability and safety of a first-trimester screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm preeclampsia (PE) in Asia. METHODS: Between 1st August 2019 and 28th February 2022, this multicenter stepped wedge cluster randomized trial included maternity/diagnostic units from ten regions in Asia. The trial started with a period where all recruiting centers provided routine antenatal care without study-related intervention. At regular six-week intervals, one cluster was randomized to transit from non-intervention phase to intervention phase. In the intervention phase, women underwent first-trimester screening for preterm PE using a Bayes theorem-based triple-test. High-risk women, with adjusted risk for preterm PE ≥ 1 in 100, received low-dose aspirin from <16 weeks until 36 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 88.04% (42,897/48,725) of women agreed to undergo first-trimester screening for preterm PE. Among those identified as high-risk in the intervention phase, 82.39% (2,919/3,543) received aspirin prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in the incidence of preterm PE between the intervention and non-intervention phases (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91 to 2.77). However, among high-risk women in the intervention phase, aspirin prophylaxis was significantly associated with a 41% reduction in the incidence of preterm PE (aOR 0.59; 95%CI 0.37 to 0.92). Additionally, it correlated with 54%, 55% and 64% reduction in the incidence of PE with delivery at <34 weeks (aOR 0.46; 95%CI 0.23 to 0.93), spontaneous preterm birth <34 weeks (aOR 0.45; 95%CI 0.22 to 0.92) and perinatal death (aOR 0.34; 95%CI 0.12 to 0.91), respectively. There was no significant between-group difference in the incidence of aspirin-related severe adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE is not associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of preterm PE. However, low-dose aspirin effectively reduces the incidence of preterm PE by 41% among high-risk women. The screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE is highly accepted by a diverse group of women from various ethnic backgrounds beyond the original population where the strategy was developed. These findings underpin the importance of the widespread implementation of the screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE on a global scale.

Exponential increase of the gestational-age-specific incidence of preeclampsia onset (COPE study): a multicenter retrospective cohort study in women with maternal check-ups at <20 weeks of gestation in Japan.

According to the 2004 Japanese definition, early-onset (EO) preeclampsia (PE) is defined as PE occurring at <32 weeks of gestation. This was based on the presence of "dual peaks" (30-31 and 34-35 weeks) in the prevalence of severe forms of hypertension. In contrast, the international definition adopted a cutoff of 34 weeks based on the consensus. Our aim was to investigate whether there were "dual peaks" in the gestational-age-specific incidence or prevalence of PE onset in pregnant women who underwent maternal check-ups at <20 weeks of gestation in a multicenter retrospective cohort study. Diagnoses of PE and superimposed preeclampsia (SPE) were based on the new Japanese definition. A total of 26,567 pregnant women with singleton pregnancy were investigated. The best fitting equations for the distribution of the onset of gestational-age-specific incidence (hazard) rates of PE/SPE, PE, and PE with severe hypertension (a systolic blood pressure ≥160 and/or a diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg) were investigated using the curve estimation function in SPSS. PE/SPE occurred in 1.83% of the patients. EO-PE/SPE with onset at <32 and <34 weeks of gestation and preterm PE/SPE occurred in 0.38, 0.56, and 1.07% of the patients, respectively. Gestational-age-specific incidence rates of PE/SPE, PE, and PE with severe hypertension showed exponential increases, with very high R2 values (0.975, 0.976, and 0.964, respectively). There were no "dual peaks" in the prevalence rates of women with SPE/PE, PE, and PE with severe hypertension. In conclusion, the absence of "dual peaks" refutes the previous rationale of EO-PE being defined as PE at <32 weeks of gestation. Further studies to determine an appropriate definition of EO-PE/SPE are needed.

Probiotics including Clostridium butyricum, Enterococcus faecium, and Bacillus subtilis may prevent recurrent spontaneous preterm delivery.

AIM: A large cohort study of Japanese women reported that the rate of recurrent spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD) in the next pregnancy was 22.3%; therefore, it is important to prevent recurrent sPTD. The present study investigated the rate of recurrent sPTD in pregnant women treated with probiotics. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Fifty-one pregnant women with a history of sPTD and who had been taking probiotics before 14 weeks of gestation were selected. The rate of sPTD in the next pregnancy among 255 pregnant women with a history of sPTD who had not taken probiotics was compared with that in the probiotics group. RESULTS: The rate of recurrent sPTD was 9.8% (5/51), which was lower than previously reported values. Furthermore, the rate of recurrent sPTD was significantly lower in the probiotics group (9.8%) than in the nonprobiotics group (31.0% [79/255]; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Probiotics may reduce the rate of recurrent sPTD.

Pre-eclampsia Complicated With Maternal Renal Dysfunction Is Associated With Poor Neurological Development at 3 Years Old in Children Born Before 34 Weeks of Gestation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate perinatal factors associated with a poor neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by searching our clinical database between January 2006 and December 2016. A total of 165 singleton children who were born between 23 and 33 weeks of gestation were included. We defined poor neurological development outcomes as follows: cerebral palsy; intellectual disability; developmental disorder including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; low score (<85 points) on Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III); or low score of Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development corrected at 3 years old. We diagnosed maternal renal dysfunction according to the Clinical Practice Guideline for chronic kidney disease 2018 and the Best Practice Guide 2015 for Care and Treatment of Hypertension in Pregnancy. Results: The rate of poor neurological development was 25/165 (15.2%): cerebral palsy (n = 1), intellectual disability (n = 1), developmental disorder (n = 2), low score of Bayley-III (n = 20), and low score of Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development (n = 1). Preeclampsia complicated with maternal renal dysfunction (P = 0.045) and delivery at <30 weeks of gestation (P = 0.007) were independent risk factors for poor neurological development. Conclusions: In addition to previous risk factors such as delivery at <30 weeks of gestation, preeclampsia complicated with renal dysfunction was also associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes corrected at 3 years old.

Fetal Megalencephaly with Cortical Dysplasia at 18 Gestational Weeks Related to Paternal UPD Mosaicism with PTEN Mutation.

The phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene is a tumor-suppressor gene located on 10q22-23. Since the introduction of molecular genetics in prenatal diagnostics, various birth defects associated with gene mutations have been diagnosed. However, no reports on fetal cases related to PTEN mutation have been found, so far. We encountered a rare case of fetal PTEN mutation. Fetal macrocephaly was noted at 16 weeks. At 18 and 20 weeks, neurosonography revealed megalencephaly with an asymmetrical structure and multifocal polygyria. The head circumference (HC) was +6.2 SD at 18 weeks and +8.1 SD at 20 weeks. The parents opted for pregnancy termination, and the male fetus was delivered at 21 weeks, with HC +9.3 SD. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for amniotic cells showed paternal uniparental disomy (UPD) 10q mosaicism, and the mosaic ratio was calculated as 56% from B-allele frequency. Exome sequencing revealed the pathogenic PTEN mutation with mosaicism. The heterozygous PTEN mutation may not cause early manifestations from the fetal period, and an abnormal phenotype may appear after birth. This may be the reason why fetal defects associated with PTEN mutation are not detected. Since this case had homozygous and heterozygous mutations, survival was possible, exhibiting an incredibly huge head with cortical dysplasia from early pregnancy.

Risk factors for spontaneous miscarriage above 12 weeks or premature delivery in patients undergoing cervical polypectomy during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: It currently remains unknown whether the resection of cervical polyps during pregnancy leads to miscarriage and/or preterm birth. This study evaluated the risk of spontaneous PTB below 34 or 37 weeks and miscarriage above 12 weeks in patients undergoing cervical polypectomy during pregnancy. METHODS: This was a retrospective monocentric cohort study of patients undergoing cervical polypectomy for clinical indication. Seventy-three pregnant women who underwent polypectomy were selected, and risk factors associated with miscarriage above 12 weeks or premature delivery below 34 or 37 weeks were investigated. A multivariable regression looking for predictors of spontaneous miscarriage > 12 weeks and PTB < 34 or 37 weeks were performed. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (21.9%, 16/73) had spontaneous delivery at < 34 weeks or miscarriage above 12 weeks. A univariate analysis showed that bleeding before polypectomy [odds ratio (OR) 7.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-37.3, p = 0.004], polyp width ≥ 12 mm (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.2-13.1, p = 0.005), the proportion of decidual polyps (OR 8.1, 95% CI 1.00-65.9, p = 0.024), and polypectomy at ≤10 weeks (OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.3-20.3, p = 0.01) were significantly higher in delivery at < 34 weeks than at ≥34 weeks. A logistic regression analysis identified polyp width ≥ 12 mm (OR 11.8, 95% CI 2.8-77.5, p = 0.001), genital bleeding before polypectomy (OR 6.5, 95% CI 1.2-55.7, p = 0.025), and polypectomy at ≤10 weeks (OR 5.9, 95% CI 1.2-45.0, p = 0.028) as independent risk factors for predicting delivery at < 34 weeks. Polyp width ≥ 12 mm and bleeding before polypectomy are risk factors for PTB < 37 wks. CONCLUSIONS: Our cohort of patients undergoing polypectomy in pregnancy have high risks of miscarriage or spontaneous premature delivery. It is unclear whether these risks are given by the underlying disease, by surgical treatment or both. This study establishes clinically relevant predictors of PTB are polyp size> 12 mm, bleeding and first trimester polypectomy. PTB risks should be exposed to patients and extensively discussed with balancing against the benefits of intervention in pregnancy.

Multiple management strategies to prolong gestational period after radical trachelectomy.

Preterm premature rupture of membranes and massive genital bleeding in the second trimester are serious obstetrical problems in pregnancy after trachelectomy. We had managed a twin post-trachelectomy pregnancy by multiple strategies, and two healthy infants were delivered at 32+5 weeks, although the optimum management for such patients is unknown.

Fermented foods and preterm birth risk from a prospective large cohort study: the Japan Environment and Children's study.

BACKGROUND: The dietary pattern of pregnant women is known to be associated with preterm birth (PTB). We investigated whether PTB was associated with intake of fermented food by using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study. METHODS: From a data set of 103,099 pregnancies, 77,667 cases at low risk for PTB were analyzed. The primary outcome measurements were based on PTB. Fermented food (miso soup, yogurt, cheese, and fermented soybeans) consumption was assessed by using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Intake of miso soup, yogurt, and fermented soybeans before pregnancy significantly reduced the risk of early PTB (< 34 weeks). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for early PTB in women who had miso soup 1-2 days/week, 3-4 days/week, or ≥ 5 days/week were 0.58, 0.69, and 0.62, respectively, compared with those who had miso soup < 1 day/week (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40-0.85, 0.49-0.98, and 0.44-0.87). The adjusted OR for early PTB in women who ate yogurt ≥ 3 times/week was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.44-0.87) compared to those who ate yogurt < 1 time/week. The adjusted OR for early PTB in women who ate fermented soybeans ≥ 3 times/week was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.43-0.84) compared to those who ate < 1 time/week. However, the incidence of overall PTB and late PTB (34-36 weeks) was not associated with fermented food intake. CONCLUSION: PTB low-risk women with a high consumption of miso soup, yogurt, and fermented soybeans before pregnancy have a reduced risk of early PTB.

17OHP-C in patients with spontaneous preterm labor and intact membranes: is there an effect according to the presence of intra-amniotic inflammation?

PROBLEM: It is not known whether 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17OHP-C) is effective for preventing preterm delivery with an episode of preterm labor (PTL) with or without intra-amniotic inflammation/infection. METHODS OF STUDY: This was a retrospective cohort study. One hundred and seven PTL patients were selected and divided into a 17OHP-C group (use of 17OHP-C: n = 53) and a no-treatment group (no use of 17OHP-C: n = 54). Moreover, the patients were divided into three subgroups (subgroup A: without intra-amniotic inflammation, B: with mild intra-amniotic inflammation, and C: with severe intra-amniotic inflammation) according to their level of amniotic interleukin (IL)-8, and perinatal prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: Interval from admission to delivery (days) in the 17OHP-C group (76 [13-126], n = 34) was significantly longer than that in the no-treatment group (50 [8-104], n = 33; P = .012) in subgroup B. In cases without intra-amniotic microbes in subgroup B, a significant prolongation of gestational days was associated with the 17OHP-C group (79 [13-126], n = 25) compared with the no-treatment group (50 [8-104], n = 29; P = .029). However, there were no significant differences in subgroups A or C. CONCLUSION: 17OHP-C could prolong gestational period in limited PTL cases with sterile mild intra-amniotic inflammation.

Sludge reflects intra-amniotic inflammation with or without microorganisms.

PROBLEM: To investigate whether amniotic fluid (AF) "sludge" in patients with preterm labor (PTL) with intact membranes is related to intra-amniotic infection or inflammation. METHOD OF STUDY: 105 PTL patients before 29 weeks' gestation were enrolled. AF "sludge" was evaluated by transvaginal sonography. Microorganisms were identified in AF by our newly established PCR method using a eukaryote-made thermostable DNA polymerase. RESULTS: AF "sludge" was present in 18.1% (19/105) of patients. The results obtained in the AF "sludge" group vs the no "sludge" group were as follows: (i) a similar positive rate of microorganisms in AF by PCR, 31.6% (6/19) vs 38.4% (33/86); (ii) a higher level of AF interleukin-8, 15.2 (0.2-381.5) ng/mL vs 5.8 (0.1-413.7) ng/mL; P = .005); and (3) a higher frequency of histological chorioamnionitis, 52.6% (10/19) vs 23.3% (20/86); P = .010. CONCLUSION: The presence of AF "sludge" is related to intra-amniotic inflammation with or without microorganisms.

In which preterm labor-patients is intravenous maintenance tocolysis effective?

AIM: We evaluated whether maintenance tocolysis (intravenous ritodrine hydrochloride and/or magnesium sulfate) was effective in cases of spontaneous preterm labor with intact membranes. METHODS: One hundred and thirty preterm labor patients who reached 36 weeks of gestation by maintenance tocolysis were selected. Immediate delivery (ID) after ceasing maintenance tocolysis was defined as an 'effective case'. The correlated factors between ID and no immediate delivery (NID) were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients delivered < two days after ceasing maintenance tocolysis (27.7%) and were defined as effective cases. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that amniotic fluid interleukin-8 at admission (≥ 2.3 ng/mL; odds ratio [OR] 5.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-17.6; P < 0.001), pre-pregnancy body mass index (≤ 21.4; OR 5.3, 95% CI 2.0-16.2; P < 0.001) and cerclage (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.1-11.8; P = 0.028) were independent factors correlated with ID (< 2 days). CONCLUSION: Maintenance tocolysis may be effective in limited cases with mild intra-amniotic inflammation, in lean women and in cerclage cases. Maintenance tocolysis should be ceased in cases without these clinical factors when clinical symptoms disappear.

A Yolk Sac Larger Than 5 mm Suggests an Abnormal Fetal Karyotype, Whereas an Absent Embryo Indicates a Normal Fetal Karyotype.

OBJECTIVES: It is very hard to estimate an abnormal or normal fetal karyotype in miscarriage before surgery. We investigated whether the abnormal fetal karyotype in early miscarriage could be estimated by comprehensive ultrasonographic findings by a multivariate analysis. METHODS: One hundred fifty-one patients with early miscarriage (<12 weeks' gestation) were selected in our hospital. The clinical characteristics were compared between pregnant women carrying a fetus with an abnormal karyotype and those with a normal one, and the size and configuration of the gestational sac, yolk sac, and embryo at diagnosis of early miscarriage were also evaluated. RESULTS: The rate of abnormal fetal karyotypes was 66.2 % (100 of 151). A maternal age older than 35 years (odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-7.4; P = .005), yolk sac larger than 5 mm (odds ratio, 6.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-22.7, P < .001), and absent embryo (odds ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.95; P = .038) were independent markers for predicting an abnormal fetal karyotype by multiple logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: At the point of early miscarriage diagnosis, a yolk sac larger than 5 mm suggests an abnormal fetal karyotype, whereas an absent embryo indicates a normal fetal karyotype.

Effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori eradication in pregnant women with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Platelet counts increase after eradication of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in non-pregnant patients with Hp-associated idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP); however, improvement in pregnant patients has not yet been reported. We treated four pregnant women for Hp-positive ITP after Hp eradication. In three of four cases, platelet counts increased to levels exceeding 10 × 109 /L two weeks after eradication, and these levels were maintained until delivery. Vaginal deliveries were uncomplicated, and no excessive blood loss occurred in any of the cases. There were no remarkable side effects of Hp eradication in pregnant women or fetuses. In pregnant women with Hp-associated ITP, Hp eradication might be worthwhile prior to considering steroid administration.

Antibiotic Therapy Increases the Risk of Preterm Birth in Preterm Labor without Intra-Amniotic Microbes, but may Prolong the Gestation Period in Preterm Labor with Microbes, Evaluated by Rapid and High-Sensitive PCR System.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the efficacy of the use of antibiotics in preterm labor (PTL) with intact membranes, after evaluating intra-amniotic microbes by our rapid and bacteria-free polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and four PTL patients before 32 weeks of gestation were recruited. Until 2012, antibiotics were empirically prescribed based on the clinical severity of PTL. Intra-amniotic microbes in stored samples were evaluated later by our newly established PCR system, and the efficacy of the use of antibiotics in PTL was evaluated. RESULTS: In the amniotic fluid (AF) microbe-negative patients (n = 67), antibiotic therapy significantly shortened the gestation period (P < 0.0001), whereas in the microbe-positive patients (n = 37), appropriate antibiotic therapy (proper antibiotic selection against identified AF microbes) was significantly associated with an increase in gestation period (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Appropriate antibiotic therapy in PTL with intact membranes prolonged the gestation period.

The risk factors for labor onset hypertension.

Our aim was to clarify the perinatal outcomes of and risk factors for hypertension that is first detected after labor onset (labor onset hypertension, LOH), which may be a risk factor for eclampsia and stroke during labor. A total of 1349 parturient women who did not exhibit preeclampsia or gestational hypertension prior to labor were examined. The patients were classified into four groups: the normotensive (n=1023) (whose systolic blood pressure (SBP) remained below 140 mm Hg throughout labor), mild LOH (n=241) (whose maximum SBP during labor ranged from 140 to 159 mm Hg), severe LOH (n=66) (whose maximum SBP during labor ranged from 160 to 179 mm Hg) and emergent LOH groups (n=19) (whose maximum SBP during labor was greater than 180 mm Hg). The perinatal outcomes and patient characteristics of the four groups were compared. Twenty-four percent of the pregnant women who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy developed hypertension during labor. One of the patients in the emergent LOH group developed eclampsia. The blood pressure at delivery and frequencies of hypotensor use, interventional delivery and low Apgar scores differed significantly among the four groups. The following risk factors for severe/emergent LOH were extracted: being over 35 years old, a body mass index at delivery of >30, an SBP at 36 weeks' gestation of 130-134 mm Hg, an SBP at admission of 130-139 mm Hg, proteinuria (a score of 2+ on the dipstick test) and severe edema. The risk factors for severe/emergent LOH were identified in this study. In high risk cases, repeatedly measuring maternal blood pressure during delivery might help detect critical hypertension early.

Impairment of the accumulation of decidual T cells, NK cells, and monocytes, and the poor vascular remodeling of spiral arteries, were observed in oocyte donation cases, regardless of the presence or absence of preeclampsia.

In oocyte donation (OD) pregnancies, a fetus is a complete allograft to the maternal host and OD pregnancies are an independent risk factor for preeclampsia. Immunocompetent cells contribute to spiral artery remodeling and the failure of this process could contribute to the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Recent data have shown that impaired autophagy of extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) may induce poor vascular remodeling in preeclampsia. We have studied the distribution of T cells, NK cells and macrophages in the decidua basalis of 14 normotensive OD pregnancies, 5 preeclamptic OD cases, 16 normotensive pregnancy cases, and 13 preeclamptic cases in natural pregnancy or autologous oocyte IVF-ET (NP/IVF). The populations of decidual CD3(+)T cells, CD8(+)T cells, CD4(+)T cells, Foxp3(+)Treg cells, CD56(+)NK cells, and CD68(+) macrophages in preeclampsia were significantly smaller than those in normal pregnancy in NP/IVF. Those frequencies in normotensive OD pregnancies or preeclamptic cases in OD pregnancies were similar to those in preeclamptic cases in NP/IVF. Impaired vascular remodeling was observed in OD pregnancies, regardless of the presence or absence of preeclampsia. The expression of p62, an impaired autophagy marker in EVT of normotensive or preeclamptic OD pregnancies, was significantly higher than that in normal pregnancies in NP/IVF. Immunological change in the decidua basalis and impairment of autophagy in EVT may induce impairment of spiral artery remodeling in OD pregnancies.

Polymicrobial Amniotic Fluid Infection with Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma and Other Bacteria Induces Severe Intra-Amniotic Inflammation Associated with Poor Perinatal Prognosis in Preterm Labor.

PROBLEM: To study the relationship between perinatal prognosis in cases of preterm labor (PTL) and polymicrobial infection in amniotic fluid (AF) and intra-amniotic (IA) inflammation using a highly sensitive and reliable PCR-based method. METHOD OF STUDY: To detect prokaryotes using a nested PCR-based method, eukaryote-made thermostable DNA polymerase without bacterial DNA contamination was used in combination with bacterial universal primers. We collected AF aseptically from 118 PTL cases and 50 term subjects. RESULTS: The prevalence of microorganisms was 33% (39/118) by PCR and only 7.6% (9/118) by culture. PTL caused by a combination of positive Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma and other bacteria had significantly higher AF IL-8 levels and a significantly shorter amniocentesis-to-delivery interval. CONCLUSIONS: Our newly established PCR method is useful for detecting IA microorganisms. Polymicrobial infection with Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma and other bacteria induces severe IA inflammation associated with poor perinatal prognosis in PTL.

Prenatal diagnosis of enterolithiasis at 18 weeks: multiple foci of intraluminal calcified meconium within echogenic bowel.

Enterolithiasis is an uncommon finding of a dilated hyperechogenic bowel with multiple ball-like echogenic structures at a routine prenatal check-up using ultrasonography. We here report a case of prenatally diagnosed enterolithiasis at 18 weeks of gestation, showing multiple hyperechogenic foci rolling within the bowel fluid after peristalsis. The size of the dilated bowel gradually increased during pregnancy. Magnetic resonance image demonstrated the dilated lower bowel with blind-ending rectum. A postnatal contrast medium study with retrograde urethrography revealed a middle imperforate anus and a rectourethral fistula. A careful examination, even before 20 weeks of gestation, is extremely useful in demonstrating intraluminal coarse calcifications within an echogenic bowel.

Accurate Prediction of the Stage of Histological Chorioamnionitis before Delivery by Amniotic Fluid IL-8 Level.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the stage of histological chorioamnionitis (h-CAM) antenatally using clinical data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hundred and twenty-eight singleton mothers were recruited. Clinical data including the levels of white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), amniotic fluid interleukin-8 (AF-IL-8) at Cesarean section, and maternal body temperature (MBT) were collected. RESULTS: Histological chorioamnionitis was present in 45.3% of the cases. Poor neonatal prognosis was highest (59.1%) in cases with h-CAM stage III. AF-IL-8 (odds ratio: 8.5, 95% CI: 5.1-14.8, P < 0.0001) and MBT (odds ratio: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.13-4.1, P = 0.0192) were independent risk factors for h-CAM. The cutoff value of AF-IL-8 for predicting each stage of h-CAM (stage I or higher, stage II or higher, and stage III) were ≥9.9 ng/mL, ≥17.3 ng/mL, and ≥55.9 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: The stage of h-CAM was able to be predicted accurately by the level of AF-IL-8 before delivery.

Intestinal microbiota is different in women with preterm birth: results from terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Preterm birth is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Studies using a cultivation method or molecular identification have shown that bacterial vaginosis is one of the risk factors for preterm birth. However, an association between preterm birth and intestinal microbiota has not been reported using molecular techniques, although the vaginal microbiota changes during pregnancy. Our aim here was to clarify the difference in intestinal and vaginal microbiota between women with preterm birth and women without preterm labor. 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes were amplified from fecal and vaginal DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), we compared the levels of operational taxonomic units of both intestinal and vaginal flora among three groups: pregnant women who delivered term babies without preterm labor (non-PTL group) (n = 20), those who had preterm labor but delivered term babies (PTL group) (n = 11), and those who had preterm birth (PTB group) (n = 10). Significantly low levels of Clostridium subcluster XVIII, Clostridium cluster IV, Clostridium subcluster XIVa, and Bacteroides, and a significantly high level of Lactobacillales were observed in the intestinal microbiota in the PTB group compared with those in the non-PTL group. The levels of Clostridium subcluster XVIII and Clostridium subcluster XIVa in the PTB group were significantly lower than those in the PTL group, and these levels in the PTL group were significantly lower than those in non-PTL group. However, there were no significant differences in vaginal microbiota among the three groups. Intestinal microbiota in the PTB group was found to differ from that in the non-PTL group using the T-RFLP method.