Table 4.
Demographic and clinical characteristics and eight candidate proteins of interest in women from the total cohort (n = 139). SPTD, spontaneous preterm delivery; AF, amniotic fluid; WBC, white blood cells; CA-1, carbonic anhydrase 1; FCGBP Fc fragment of IgG binding protein; IGFBP, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein; S100A8, S100 calcium binding protein A8; VEGFR-1, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1. Values are given as the mean ± standard deviation or n (%). aEight cases were excluded for the analysis because delivery took place at term at another institution and the mode of delivery was unknown.
| SPTD ≤ 14 days (n = 10) |
SPTD > 14 days (n = 129) |
P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 31.20 ± 4.16 | 31.33 ± 3.78 | 0.561 |
| Nulliparity | 6 (60.0%) | 95 (73.6%) | 0.353 |
| Gestational age at amniocentesis (weeks) | 30.08 ± 2.40 | 29.71 ± 2.36 | 0.590 |
| AF IL-6 levels (ng/mL) | 0.565 ± 0.276 | 0.310 ± 0.237 | 0.003 |
| AF WBC counts (cells/mm3) | 2.90 ± 3.54 | 4.18 ± 5.10 | 0.393 |
| Positive AF cultures | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1.000 |
| Use of tocolytics | 9 (90.0%) | 118 (91.5%) | 0.874 |
| Use of corticosteroids | 9 (90.0%) | 75 (58.1%) | 0.048 |
| Use of antibiotics | 1 (10.0%) | 25 (19.4%) | 0.465 |
| Gestational age at delivery (weeks) | 30.47 ± 2.71 | 37.75 ± 2.21 | < 0.001 |
| Cesarean delivery a | 5/10 (50.0%) | 39/121 (32.2%) | 0.302 |
| AF CA-1 (ng/mL) | 2.25 ± 2.20 | 1.73 ± 1.74 | 0.954 |
| AF FCGBP (ng/mL) | 51.96 ± 16.70 | 37.84 ± 17.02 | 0.018 |
| AF IGFBP-4 (ng/mL) | 628.86 ± 294.29 | 531.24 ± 235.67 | 0.304 |
| AF lipocalin-2 (ng/mL) | 259.79 ± 152.89 | 209.36 ± 266.98 | 0.040 |
| AF S100 A8 (ng/mL) | 1.18 ± 0.80 | 1.11 ± 1.10 | 0.625 |
| AF S100 A8/A9 (ng/mL) | 2466.91 ± 734.50 | 2324.36 ± 791.91 | 0.551 |
| AF VEGFR-1 (ng/mL) | 464.50 ± 256.43 | 1051.37 ± 697.18 | 0.002 |