Table 1. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the study population.
| Characteristics | Delivery <32weeks (n = 25) | Delivery ≥32weeks (n = 37) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 31.7 ± 4.2 | 32.5 ± 4.2 | 0.526 |
| Nulliparity | 48% (12) | 49% (18) | 0.960 |
| Gestational age at sampling (weeks) | 22.3 ± 2.4 | 23.1 ± 2.5 | 0.248 |
| Gestational age at delivery (weeks) | 25.2 ± 3.7 | 37.4 ± 2.1 | <0.001 |
| Disease entity Cervical insufficiency Short cervical length |
76.0% (19) 24.0% (6) |
21.6% (8) 78.4% (29) |
<0.001 |
| Cerclage placement | 48.0% (12) | 59.5% (22) | 0.374 |
| Vaginal progesterone therapy | 28.0% (7) | 56.8% (21) | 0.026 |
| WBC count (thousand/mm³) | 11.47 ± 3.73 | 10.85 ± 2.98 | 0.681 |
| Serum CRP (mg/dL) | 1.49 ± 1.76 | 0.37 ± 0.36 | 0.002 |
| Cervical length by ultrasound (mm) in women with a short cervix | 8.6 ± 5.4 (n = 6) | 11.4 ± 6.4 (n = 29) | 0.379 |
| Cervical dilatation (cm) >2 cm ≤2 cm |
3 (0–6) | 0 (0–4) | <0.001 |
| 60.0% (15) | 5.4% (2) | <0.001 | |
| 40.0% (10) | 94.6% (35) | ||
| Cervicovaginal IL-8 (ng/mL) | 11.44 ± 21.70 | 8.95 ± 15.19 | 0.113 |
| Cervicovaginal VDBP (μg/mL) | 1.86 ± 1.54 | 0.74 ± 0.81 | 0.002 |
| Cervicovaginal TIMP-1 (ng/mL) | 145.45 ± 190.13 | 42.31 ± 46.45 | 0.001 |
| Cervicovaginal MMP-9 (ng/mL) | 48.54 ± 36.88 | 67.88 ± 61.76 | 0.362 |
| Cervicovaginal DKK3 (ng/mL) | 1.28 ± 2.75 | 0.45 ± 0.55 | <0.001 |
| Percentage above LLOQ for cervicovaginal IL-6 | 76.0% (19) | 29.7% (11) | <0.001 |
| Percentage above LLOQ for cervicovaginal M-CSF | 56.0% (14) | 35.1% (13) | 0.104 |
| Use of tocolytics | 52.0% (13) | 35.1% (13) | 0.187 |
| Use of corticosteroids | 56.0% (14) | 29.7% (11) | 0.039 |
| Use of antibiotics | 92.0% (23) | 73.0% (27) | 0.063 |
| Clinical chorioamnionitis | 24.0% (6) | 0% (0) | 0.003 |
| Histologic chorioamnionitisa | 75.0% (18/24) | 22.2% (2/9) | 0.013 |
Values are given as the means ± SDs, medians (ranges), or % (n). WBC, white blood cell; CRP, C-reactive protein; IL, interleukin; VDBP, vitamin D binding protein; TIMP, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases; MMP, matrix metalloproteinases; DKK, Dickkopf; LLOQ, lower limit of quantification; M-CSF, macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
aData for the histologic evaluation of the placenta were available in 33 (53%) of the 62 women because in 15 cases, the delivery took place at another institution and in 14 cases, histologic evaluation of the placenta was not performed because of our institutional policy that only the placentas in cases of preterm delivery are to be sent for histopathologic examination.