BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF PREMATURE BIRTH

Abstract

Premature birth remains one of the pressing problems of modern obstetrics, as it
determines the level of perinatal mortality and morbidity [1]. Of no small importance
are the psycho -social , economic, and demographic aspects of the problem of preterm
pregnancy, as well as the frequency of this pathology, which over the past 20 years has
not shown a tendency to decrease. All this indicates the need for a comprehensive study
of the problem of premature birth and the search for new approaches to prediction.
Unfortunately, anamnestic data and clinical manifestations do not always sufficiently
allow timely prediction of premature birth. In this regard, researchers, based on
pathogenetic mechanisms, propose using hormonal parameters— estriol in saliva [6],
immunological parameters—cytokines in amniotic fluid and cervical mucus [7–9], and
others— as markers of preterm birth . As is known, maternal, placental and fetal factors
take part in the development of premature birth. Today, the role of the fetus in the
initiation of labor, including premature labor, is beyond doubt. In this regard, it is of
interest to study the diagnostic significance of determining markers of fetal origin in
predicting preterm birth. For this purpose, we examined 132 pregnant women with a
history of recurrent miscarriage (risk group for preterm birth) over the dynamics of the
gestational period. Of these, 92 women experienced early termination of pregnancy at
22–37 weeks of gestation (main group). The comparison group included 40 women
whose pregnancy ended in term birth. The control group consisted of 48 women with
a physiological pregnancy. Of these, 30 women were examined in the first and second
trimesters of pregnancy (termination of pregnancy for social reasons) and 18 women
with a normal pregnancy at 37–40 weeks.