Research question: Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of perinatal mortality worldwide, with the greatest burden occurring in resource-constrained settings. Based on the hypothesis that altered placental angiogenesis and inflammation early in pregnancy lead to PTB, we examined whether levels of inflammatory and angiogenic mediators, measured early in pregnancy, were predictive of spontaneous PTB (sPTB).
Study design: Plasma samples were collected from a prospective cohort of primigravid Tanzanian women between 12-27 weeks gestation. A panel of 18 markers was screened on a training cohort of 426 women. Markers associated with sPTB in the training cohort were repeated in a test cohort of 628 women. All markers were measured by ELISA.
Findings: In both the training and test cohorts plasma levels of IL-18BP, sICAM-1, sEndoglin and CHI3L1 were elevated and Leptin was lower at enrollment in women who subsequently experienced sPTB. In multivariate analysis women with plasma levels of CHI3L1, C5a, sICAM-1, AngptL3, sEndgolin, sFlt-1 and IL-18BP in the highest quartile had an increased risk of sPTB compared with those in the lowest quartile. Women with Leptin and Ang2 in the highest quartile had a reduced risk of sPTB compared with women in the lowest quartile.
Implications: Levels of angiogenic and inflammatory mediators measured at mid-pregnancy were associated with subsequent sPTB. These findings provide insight into mechanisms underlying sPTB and suggest biomarkers that may have clinical utility in risk-stratifying pregnancies.