Requirement for oxytocin augmentation in spontaneous parturition is associated with the maternal serum steroid hormones assessed by liquid chromatography coupled to the tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

Aim: The aim of research was to evaluate the maternal serum concentration of selected endogenous steroid hormones during spontaneous parturition at term and to determinate their association with the need for oxytocin augmentation.

Methods: Blood of 108 healthy pregnant women whose parturition started with the regular spontaneous uterine contractions was drawn at the beginning of the labor. Liquid chromatography coupled to the tandem mass spectrometry device was utilized for measurement of sex hormone binding globulin, aldosterone, androstenedione, cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosteron sulphate, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone, and testosterone. Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, univariate and multivariate logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used for the data analysis.

Results: Reference ranges of the selected hormones assessed by liquid chromatography coupled to the tandem mass spectrometry in maternal serum were established. Statistically significant differences in the serum concentration of corticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenedione between mothers requiring oxytocin augmentation and the rest of women having spontaneous parturition were found (p = 0.002, p = 0.008, and p = 0.04, respectively). Concentrations were lower in the group of mothers who required oxytocin infusion for progression of labor. ROC analysis showed that all the mothers with dehydroepiandrosterone serum concentration above 21.6 nmol/L have lower chance to use oxytocin infusion for the labor progression ( area under the curve (AUC) = 0.649, sensitivity = 71.7%, specificity = 59.6%, p = 0.006).

Conclusion: This research provided reference ranges for the selected maternal serum steroid hormones at the beginning of parturition. Association of corticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenedione with the need for the oxytocin infusion usage has been established. Dehydroepiandrosterone could be potential predictor of oxytocin infusion augmentation for progression of the parturition.

Keywords: LC-MS/MS; dehydroepiandrosterone; immunoassay; oxytocin; parturition.