Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics associated with placental specimens subjected to RNA-seq.
| IAI PTB n=5 |
Idiopathic PTB n=5 |
Term delivery n=5 |
p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical and outcome characteristics | ||||
| Maternal age (years) † | 35 [21–41] | 25 [16–39] | 26 [19–37] | 0. 499 |
| Parity † | 1 [0–4] | 1 [0–2] | 2 [1–3] | 0.316 |
| Gravidity † | 3 [2–5] | 3 [1–5] | 3 [2–5] | 0.544 |
| GA at delivery (weeks) † | 26 [25–31] | 32 [29–33] | 39 [38–39] | 0.003 a |
| PPROM ‡ | 4 (80%) | 2 (40%) | 0 (0%) | 0.010 |
| Clinical chorioamnionitis ‡ | 1 (20%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0.300 |
| Cesarean delivery ‡ | 2 (40%) | 4 (80%) | 5 (100%) | 0.037 |
| Corticosteroid exposure ‡ | 5 (100%) | 5 (100%) | 0 (0%) | < 0.001 |
| Birthweight (grams) † | 830 [680–1,830] | 1965 [1,220–2,210] | N/A | 0.032 |
| Amniotic fluid analysis (microbiological and inflammatory status) | ||||
| Positive AF culture ‡ | 5 (100%) | 0 (0%) | N/A | 0.008 |
| Positive Gram stain ‡ | 3 (60%) | 0 (0%) | N/A | 0.080 |
| Glucose (mg/dL) † | 2 [2–5] | 16 [13–30] | N/A | 0.016 |
| LDH (U/L) † | 846 [422–3,110] | 188 [110–311] | N/A | 0.016 |
| WBC (cells/mm3) † | 294 [0–1,976] | 2 [1–4] | N/A | 0.286 |
| MR score 3 or 4 ‡ | 5 (100%) | 0 (0%) | N/A | 0.008 |
| IL-6 (ng/mL) † | 69 [6–223] | 1 [0–9] | N/A | 0.032 |
| Histological evaluation of the placenta | ||||
| Chorioamnionitis (grade) † | 2 [1–2] | 0 [0–1] | 0 [0–0] | 0.003 b |
| Maternal inflammation (stage) † | 3 [2–3] | 0 [0–1] | 0 [0–0] | 0.003 b |
| Fetal inflammation (stage) † | 2 [1–3] | 0 [0–0] | 0 [0–0] | 0.001 b |
Data presented as median [range] and analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance with Dunn’s post hoc test, or Mann-Whitney rank-sum test, as appropriate.
Data presented as n (%) and analyzed by Fisher’s exact test.
Statistically significant for IAI vs. term comparison.
Statistically significant for IAI vs. iPTB and IAI vs. term comparisons.
Abbreviations: IAI= intra-amniotic infection; PTB=preterm birth; GA=gestational age; PPROM=preterm premature rupture of membranes; AF=amniotic fluid; LDH=lactate dehydrogenase; WBC= white blood cell count; IL-6=interluekin-6; N/A = not available. The MR score ranges from 0 to 4: MR score 0 (“absent” inflammation); MR score 1–2 (“minimal” inflammation); MR score 3–4 (“severe” inflammation). The grade and stage of acute chorioamnionitis are reported as follows: grade 0 (“absent”); grade 1 (“mild-moderate”); grade 2 (“severe”); stage 0 (“absent”); stage 1 (“early”); stage 2 (“intermediate”); and stage 3 (“advanced”).