Fetal fibronectin (Quick Check fFN test(®)) for detection of premature rupture of fetal membranes

Association between Fetal Adrenal Gland Ultrasound Measurements in the 9th Month and Mode of Delivery

OBJECTIVE

Several studies have previously assessed the value of changes in the fetal adrenal gland to predict preterm labor. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between fetal adrenal gland measurements after 36 weeks and obstetrical outcomes.

METHODS

Abdominal two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound is used to measure in the transversal plane the length of fetal zone (D1), the width (D2), and the length (D3) of fetal adrenal gland, and, subsequently, the fetal zone enlargement (FZE), in 98 primigravida women after 36 weeks. Labor and delivery outcomes were assessed and compared with these measurements.

RESULTS

FZE changes had no association with spontaneous onset of labor. No association was found between all adrenal gland measurements and delivery onset. There was a significant relationship between D1, D2, and D3 and the delivery method. Patients delivered by cesarean section had smaller fetal adrenal gland dimensions, defining D1= 0.16 cm, D2 = 0.7 cm, and D3 = 2.37 cm as cutoff levels based on receiver operator characteristics curves.

CONCLUSION

The 2D measurement of the fetal adrenal gland after 36 weeks seems to predict the delivery method in low-risk primigravida women.

KEY POINTS

· We evaluate fetal adrenal gland measurements after 36 weeks versus the obstetrical outcome.. · No association was found between all adrenal gland measurements and delivery onset.. · Patients delivered by cesarean section had smaller fetal adrenal gland dimensions..

Recent Advances and Challenges in the Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Preterm Labor

Preterm birth (PTB) is the primary cause of neonatal mortality and long-term disabilities. The unknown mechanism behind PTB makes diagnosis difficult, yet early detection is necessary for controlling and averting related consequences. The primary focus of this work is to provide an overview of the known risk factors associated with preterm labor and the conventional and advanced procedures for early detection of PTB, including multi-omics and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML)- based approaches. It also discusses the principles of detecting various proteomic biomarkers based on lateral flow immunoassay and microfluidic chips, along with the commercially available point-of-care testing (POCT) devices and associated challenges. After briefing the therapeutic and preventive measures of PTB, this review summarizes with an outlook.

Current and Emerging Strategies for Prediction and Diagnosis of Prelabour Rupture of the Membranes: A Narrative Review

Prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM) refers to the disruption of foetal membranes before the onset of labour, resulting in the leakage of amniotic fluid. PROM complicates 3% and 8% of preterm and term pregnancies, respectively. Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective management to prevent adverse maternal- and foetal-outcomes. The diagnosis of equivocal PROM cases with traditional methods often becomes challenging in current obstetrics practice; therefore, various novel biochemical markers have emerged as promising diagnostic tools. This narrative review is sought to review the published data to understand the current and emerging trends in diagnostic modalities in term and preterm pregnancies complicated with PROM and the potential role of various markers for predicting preterm PROM (pPROM) and chorioamnionitis in women with pPROM.

Beta-HCG Concentration in Vaginal Fluid: Used as a Diagnostic Biochemical Marker for Preterm Premature Rupture of Membrane in Suspected Cases and Its Correlation with Onset of Labour

Objectives

To evaluate β-hCG concentration in vaginal fluid as a biochemical marker for PPROM in suspected cases and its correlation with onset of labour.

Materials and Methods

This is a prospective case-control study carried out in tertiary care centre in 1 year. Total 150 pregnant women of gestational age 28-36 week + 6 days were included and were divided into two groups: control (Group 1) (n = 50) normal antenatal patients. Group 2 cases with history of leaking per vaginum subdivided into two groups-Group 2A-(n = 50) with no detectable leakage of amniotic fluid present on per speculum examination and Group 2B-(n = 50) with minimal leaking per vaginum present upon per speculum examination (frank leaking were excluded). β-hCG level was measured by chemiluminescent microparticle assay, and all women were followed till onset of labour.

Results

Mean β-hCG level in vaginal fluid was measured as 6.10 ± 8.52 mIU/mL, 57.10 ± 30.86 mIU/mL and 111.35 ± 36.01 mIU/mL in Group 1, Group 2A and Group 2B, respectively. By taking 21.5 mIU/ml as cut-off, receiver operating characteristic curve shows sensitivity 100%, specificity 92.0%, positive predictive value 92.6%, negative predictive value 100% and diagnostic accuracy 96%. Regarding the correlation of β-hCG level with onset of labour if the β-hCG level is < 21.5 mIU/ml, 100% pregnancy continued beyond 4 weeks and 56% women delivered within 4 weeks when β-hCG level is > 75 mIU/ml.

Conclusion

β-hCG in vaginal fluid is a reliable biochemical marker for diagnosing suspected cases of PPROM and is well correlated with onset of labour.

Prenatal diagnosis of single umbilical artery complicated by intrauterine growth retardation and preterm labor: Case report

Fetuses with single umbilical artery (SUA) at great risk of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) and prematurity. A 24-years-old woman, 28 weeks’ gestation, presented to the Ahmadi hospital, Kuwait, with history of preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes (PPROM). After exclusion of the PPROM, the ultrasound scan of the studied woman showed; asymmetrical IUGR with SUA. The diagnosis of SUA confirmed by the color flow Doppler. She delivered spontaneously at 36 weeks+2, and a cut section in the umbilical cord done to confirm the diagnosis of SUA. The congenital and chromosomal abnormalities of the studied neonate excluded after normal pelvi-abdominal, brain ultrasound and normal karyotyping (46, xx); respectively. The prenatal diagnosed SUA in the studied cases associated with IUGR, preterm labor (PTL) and small for gestational age (SGA). SUA can be considered a marker of diagnosable congenital fetal malformation (CFM) and aneuploidy.

Neutrophil elastase and fetal fibronectin levels as predictors of single-birth prematurity

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive values (PVs) of neutrophil elastase (NE) and fetal fibronectin (fFN) in cervical secretions for single-birth premature delivery. Samples of cervical secretions were obtained from 144 women with high-risk singleton pregnancies at 20-34 weeks' gestation and premature Creasy scores of >12 points for NE and fFN level testing, and the PVs of the two indicators for premature birth (PB) were retrospectively analyzed. NE and fFN had high negative PVs (NPVs) for PB; the NPV of NE and fFN for delivery 7 days after detection was significantly higher than the positive PV (P<0.01). In addition, the sensitivity of the combined use of NE and fFN levels for PB prediction was high if both were present, and the PB rate of the double-positive group was higher than that of the single-positive group (P<0.01). Clinical intervention could turn the NE and fFN values negative in certain cases; in these cases, the PB rate was significantly lower than that in the sustained-positive group. In conclusion, NE and fFN in cervical secretions could be used as objective predictors of premature delivery, and their combined application could improve the prediction sensitivity. Effective clinical intervention could then reduce the incidence of PB.

Fetal fibronectin (Quick Check fFN test) versus placental alpha microglobulin-1 (AmniSure test) for detection of premature rupture of fetal membranes

OBJECTIVES

To compare accuracy of fetal fibronectin (fFN) versus placental alpha microglobulin-1 for detection of premature rupture of fetal membranes (PROM).

METHODS

Two hundred and twenty pregnant women >34 and <37 weeks were included in this comparative prospective study and divided into two groups according to presence or absence of PROM. The diagnosis of PROM was based on patient's history of sudden gush of water, pooling of amniotic fluid, positive ferning, positive nitrazine test, confirmed by visualization of fluid passing from the cervical canal and amniotic fluid index ≤5 cm measured by trans-abdominal ultrasound. Patients included in this study were examined by sterile speculum for visualization of membranes and for collection of samples (swabs) from posterior vaginal fornix.

RESULTS

Sensitivity and specificity of AmniSure test to diagnose PROM were 97.3 and 98.2 %, respectively, compared with 94.5 and 89.1 %, respectively, for fFN test. Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of AmniSure test to diagnose PROM were 98.2, 97.3, and 97.7 %, respectively, compared with 89.7, 94.2, and 91.8 %, respectively, for fFN test. Predictive values and accuracy of fFN test to diagnose PROM were statistically insignificant compared with predictive values and accuracy of ferning, nitrazine and AmniSure tests.

CONCLUSION

fFN bedside test is better than nitrazine and ferning tests in detection of PROM, but is not suited for identification of clinically difficult cases with suspected PROM, because, it is influenceable and can give false-positive results in preterm labor, women >34 gestational weeks and after any vaginal manipulation without PROM.

Endocannabinoids as biomarkers of human reproduction

BACKGROUND

Infertility is a condition of the reproductive system that affects ∼10-15% of couples attempting to conceive a baby. More than half of all cases of infertility are a result of female conditions, while the remaining cases can be attributed to male factors, or to a combination of both. The search for suitable biomarkers of pregnancy outcome is a challenging issue in human reproduction, aimed at identifying molecules with predictive significance of the reproductive potential of male and female gametes. Among the various candidates, endocannabinoids (eCBs), and in particular anandamide (AEA), represent potential biomarkers of human fertility disturbances. Any perturbation of the balance between synthesis and degradation of eCBs will result in local changes of their tone in human female and male reproductive tracts, which in turn regulates various pathophysiological processes, oocyte and sperm maturation included.

METHODS

PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for papers using relevant keywords like 'biomarker', 'endocannabinoid', 'infertility', 'pregnancy' and 'reproduction'.

RESULTS

In this review, we discuss different studies on the measurements of AEA and related eCBs in human reproductive cells, tissues and fluids, where the local contribution of these bioactive lipids could be critical in ensuring normal sperm fertilizing ability and pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

Based on the available data, we suggest that the AEA tone has the potential to be exploited as a novel diagnostic biomarker of infertility, to be used in association with assays of conventional hormones (e.g. progesterone, β-chorionic gonadotrophin) and semen analysis. However further quantitative research of its predictive capacity is required.