scholarly journals Prediction of Spontaneous Preterm Birth in At-risk Women Using Thrombospondin 1 from Cervicovaginal Fluid: A Prospective Observational Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (09) ◽  
pp. 1055-1064
Author(s):  
Johannes Stubert ◽  
Kathleen Gründler ◽  
Bernd Gerber ◽  
Dagmar-Ulrike Richter ◽  
Max Dieterich

Abstract Introduction Thrombospondin 1, desmoplakin and stratifin are putative biomarkers for the prediction of preterm birth. This study aimed to validate the predictive capability of these biomarkers in patients at risk of preterm birth. Materials and Methods We included 109 women with symptoms of threatened spontaneous preterm birth between weeks 20 0/7 and 31 6/7 of gestation. Inclusion criteria were uterine contractions, cervical length of less than 25 mm, or a personal history of spontaneous preterm birth. Multiple gestations were also included. Samples of cervicovaginal fluid were taken before performing a digital examination and transvaginal ultrasound. Levels of cervicovaginal thrombospondin 1, desmoplakin and stratifin were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The primary endpoint was spontaneous preterm birth before 34 + 0 weeks of gestation. Results Sixteen women (14.7%) delivered before 34 + 0 weeks. Median levels of thrombospondin 1 were higher in samples where birth occurred before 34 weeks vs. ≥ 34 weeks of gestation (4904 vs. 469 pg/mL, p < 0.001). Receiver operator characteristics analysis resulted in an area under the curve of 0.86 (p < 0.0001). At an optimal cut-off value of 2163 pg/mL, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 0.94, 0.77, 0.42 and 0.99, respectively, with an adjusted odds ratio of 32.9 (95% CI: 3.1 – 345, p = 0.004). Multiple gestation, cervical length, and preterm labor had no impact on the results. Survival analysis revealed a predictive period of more than eight weeks. Levels of desmoplakin and stratifin did not differ between groups. Conclusion Thrombospondin 1 allowed long-term risk estimation of spontaneous preterm birth.

Author(s):  
Paul Guerby ◽  
Mario Girard ◽  
Geneviève Marcoux ◽  
Annie Beaudoin ◽  
Jean-Charles Pasquier ◽  
...  

Objective The study aimed to estimate the predictive value of midtrimester cervical length (CL) and the optimal cut-off of CL that should be applied with asymptomatic nulliparous women for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Study Design This is a prospective cohort study of asymptomatic nulliparous women with a singleton gestation. Participants underwent CL measurement by transvaginal ultrasound between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation. The participants and their health care providers remained blinded to the results of CL measurement. The primary outcomes were sPTB before 35 weeks and sPTB before 37 weeks. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were performed. Analyses were repeated by using multiples of median (MoM) of CL adjusted for gestational age. Results Of 796 participants, the mean midtrimester CL was 40 ± 6 mm with a 1st, 5th, and 10th percentile of 25, 29, and 32 mm, respectively. ROC curve analyses suggest that a cut-off of 30 mm was the optimal CL to predict sPTB before 35 weeks (area under the ROC curve [AUC]: 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56–0.85) and before 37 weeks (AUC: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.59–0.80). Midtrimester CL <30 mm could detect 35% of all sPTB before 35 weeks at a false-positive rate of 5% (relative risk: 9.1, 95% CI: 3.5–23.5, p < 0.001). We observed similar results using a cut-off of CL <0.75 MoM adjusted for gestational age. Conclusion A midtrimester CL cut-off of 30 mm (instead of 25 mm), or CL less than 0.75 MoM, should be used to identify nulliparous women at high risk of sPTB. Key Points


Author(s):  
Bijay Sur ◽  
Sujata Misra ◽  
Sanghamitra Dash

Background: This prospective observational study was conducted to evaluate the anterior cervical angle (ACA) of the uterus by transvaginal sonography (TVS) and to determine the feasibility to predict spontaneous preterm birth (PTB). The duration of the study was from December 2014-December 2016.The participants included 100 pregnant women with singleton pregnancy who were asymptomatic. They were enrolled after excluding all known risk factors of preterm birth.Methods: The ACA and cervical length were measured in all cases by transvaginal sonography either in the 1st trimester or 2nd trimester. All cases were followed and well documented with respect to the gestational age at delivery.Results: There was a significant risk of preterm labour in women with cervical length <2.5cm in the 2nd trimester with Odds Ratio 3.625, P value=0.001, sensitivity 75% and specificity 79.31%. The positive predictive value was 33.33% and negative predictive value 95.83%. The false positive rate was 20.65% and false negative rate 25%. The difference of mean cervical angle in women who delivered preterm and that of those who delivered at term, in the 1st    trimester (preterm group 114.2°Vs term group 93.0°, P<0.001) and in the 2nd trimester (preterm group 127.66° Vs term group 103.65°, P <0.001) was significant. An ACA of 114.2° in the 1st trimester was associated with a risk of spontaneous preterm birth (P value 0.0065, sensitivity 90% and specificity 80%). An ACA of 127.66° in 2nd trimester was associated with a risk of spontaneous preterm birth (P value 0.0004, sensitivity 80%and specificity 88.23%).Conclusions: Despite the limitations of a small sample size, the results suggest that the anterior cervical angle has potential as a new predictor of spontaneous preterm birth especially when measured in the 1st trimester.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Wenqiang Zhan ◽  
Yanling Lin ◽  
Danlin Yang ◽  
Xiaoying Xue ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to develop a dynamic model to predict the risk of spontaneous preterm birth at < 32 weeks in twin pregnancy. Methods Women with twin pregnancies were followed up from January 2017 to December 2019 in two tertiary medical centres—data from one were used to construct the model, and data from the other were used to evaluate the model. Data on maternal demographic characteristics, transvaginal cervical length and funnelling during 20–24 weeks were extracted. The prediction model was constructed with independent variables determined by logistic regression analyses. Results After applying specified exclusion criteria, an algorithm with maternal and biophysical factors was developed based on 92 twin pregnancies with a preterm birth < 32 weeks and 672 twin pregnancies with a delivery ≥ 32 weeks. It was then evaluated among 36 pregnancies with a preterm birth < 32 weeks and 261 pregnancies with a delivery ≥ 32 weeks in a second tertiary centre without specific training. The model reached a sensitivity of 78.26%, specificity of 88.84%, false positive rate of 11.16% and negative predictive value of 96.76%; ROC characteristics proved that the model was superior to any single parameter with an AUC of 0.856. Conclusions We developed and validated a dynamic nomogram model to predict the individual probability of early preterm birth in order to better represent the complex aetiology of twin pregnancies and hopefully improve the prediction and indication of interventions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (07) ◽  
pp. 648-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Tenbrink ◽  
Mitchell Onslow ◽  
Avinash Patil ◽  
Jordan Knight

Objective Twin pregnancies are associated with an increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Our objective was to compare the performance of uterocervical angle to cervical length as predictors of spontaneous preterm birth in this population. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of twin gestations at a single center from May 2008 to 2016 who received a transvaginal ultrasound for the evaluation of the cervix between 16 0/7 and 23 0/7 weeks. The primary outcome was prediction of preterm birth <28 and <32 weeks by uterocervical angle and cervical length. Results Among 259 women with twin gestation, the mean gestational age at birth was 34.83 ± 3.48 weeks. Receiver operator characteristic curves demonstrated optimal prediction of spontaneous preterm birth prior to 32 weeks at a uterocervical angle >110° (80% sensitivity, 82% specificity) [odds ratio (OR), 15.7 (95% confidence interval (CI), 7.2–34.4)] versus cervical length <20 mm (53% sensitivity, 85% specificity; p < 0.001, OR, 6.4 [95% CI, 2.3–17.8]) and similarly, prior to 28 weeks at a uterocervical angle >114° (OR, 24.3 [95% CI, 6.7–88.5]) compared with cervical length <20 mm (OR, 11.4 [95% CI, 3.5–36.7]). Conclusion Uterocervical angles >110° performed better than cervical length for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in twin gestations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 1171-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Kyvernitakis ◽  
Holger Maul ◽  
Werner Rath ◽  
Katrina Kraft ◽  
Ruben Kuon ◽  
...  

AbstractThis position paper describes clinically important, practical aspects of cervical pessary treatment. Transvaginal ultrasound is standard for the assessment of cervical length and selection of patients who may benefit from pessary treatment. Similar to other treatment modalities, the clinical use and placement of pessaries requires regular training. This training is essential for proper pessary placement in patients in emergency situations to prevent preterm delivery and optimize neonatal outcomes. Consequently, pessaries should only be applied by healthcare professionals who are not only familiar with the clinical implications of preterm birth as a syndrome but are also trained in the practical application of the devices. The following statements on the clinical use of pessary application and its removal serve as an addendum to the recently published German S2-consensus guideline on the prevention and treatment of preterm birth.


Author(s):  
Mehbooba Beigh ◽  
Mohammed Farooq Mir ◽  
Rifat Amin ◽  
Simrath Shafi

Background: Preterm delivery (PTD) is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Objective of present study was to identify the women at risk of preterm delivery with the help of trans-vaginal ultrasound by assessing cervical length changes, funneling of lower uterine segment, cervical dilatation.Methods: A prospective study was carried out over a period of 2 years on 50 patients with 24-36 weeks of gestation who clinically presented with signs of threatened preterm labor and were subjected to transvaginal sonographic measurement of cervical length.Results: Prediction of spontaneous preterm birth at <37 weeks of gestation with cervical length to be 2.75 cm has sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 96.5%, positive predictive value of 86.36% and negative predictive value of 98.7%.Conclusions: Transvaginal ultrasonography is the reliable, reproducible and objective method to assess cervix and to predict the risk of preterm delivery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1784
Author(s):  
Johannes van der Merwe ◽  
Isabel Couck ◽  
Francesca Russo ◽  
Xavier P. Burgos-Artizzu ◽  
Jan Deprest ◽  
...  

Novel transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) markers have been proposed to improve spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) prediction. Preliminary results of the cervical consistency index (CCI), uterocervical angle (UCA), and cervical texture (CTx) have been promising in singletons. However, in twin pregnancies, the results have been inconsistent. In this prospective cohort study of asymptomatic twin pregnancies assessed between 18+0–22+0 weeks, we evaluated TVU derived cervical length (CL), CCI, UCA, and the CTx to predict sPTB < 34+0 weeks. All iatrogenic PTB were excluded. In the final cohort of 63 pregnancies, the sPTB rate < 34+0 was 16.3%. The CCI, UCA, and CTx, including the CL was significantly different in the sPTB < 34+0 weeks group. The best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for sPTB < 34+0 weeks was achieved by the CCI 0.82 (95%CI, 0.72–0.93), followed by the UCA with AUC 0.72 (95%CI, 0.57–0.87). A logistic regression model incorporating parity, chorionicity, CCI, and UCA resulted in an AUC of 0.91 with a sensitivity of 55.3% and specificity of 88.1% for predicting sPTB < 34+0. The CCI performed better than other TVU markers to predict sPTB < 34+0 in twin gestations, and the best diagnostic accuracy was achieved by a combination of parity, chorionicity, CCI, and UCA.


2018 ◽  
Vol 08 (01) ◽  
pp. e43-e50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Núria Baños ◽  
Carla Julià ◽  
Núria Lorente ◽  
Silvia Ferrero ◽  
Teresa Cobo ◽  
...  

Background Short cervical length (CL) has not been shown to be adequate as a single predictor of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) in high-risk pregnancies. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the mid-trimester cervical consistency index (CCI) to predict sPTB in a cohort of high-risk pregnancies and to compare the results with those obtained with the CL. Study Design Prospective cohort study including high-risk singleton pregnancies between 19+0 and 24+6 weeks. The ratio between the anteroposterior diameter of the uterine cervix at maximum compression and at rest was calculated offline to obtain the CCI. Results Eighty-two high sPTB risk women were included. CCI (%) was significantly reduced in women who delivered <37+0 weeks compared with those who delivered at term, while CL was not. The area under the curve (AUC) of the CCI to predict sPTB <37+0 weeks was 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61–0.85), being 0.51 (95% CI, 0.35–0.67), p = 0.03 for CL. The AUC of the CCI to predict sPTB <34+0 weeks was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.54–0.82), being 0.49 (95% CI, 0.29–0.69), p = 0.06 for CL. Conclusion CCI performed better than sonographic CL to predict sPTB. Due to the limited predictive capacity of these two measurements, other tools are still needed to better identify women at increased risk.


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