Problem: To determine the association between maternal soluble B7-H4 (sB7-H4) and the preterm premature rupture of the amniotic membranes (pPROM), the blood serum concentration levels of sB7-H4 were studied.
Method of study: Maternal serum levels of sB7-H4 were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients between 11 and 13 weeks' gestation who later on in the pregnancy developed pPROM (n=21), premature rupture of the amniotic membranes at term (n=18), and in control group (n=27).
Results: The highest serum levels of sB7-H4 were found in patients who developed pPROM. An OR of 1.39 (95%-CI: 1.17-1.77; P=.002) per ng/mL sB7-H4 indicated an increased risk for developing pPROM, with some predictive ability to discriminate between pPROM cases and controls (AUC=.81).
Conclusion: Increased serum levels of sB7-H4 in early pregnancy in pPROM cases may indicate the dynamics of the immune response at the feto-maternal interface and, thus, may serve as a predictive marker for this pregnancy complication.
Keywords: immune tolerance; preterm labor; soluble B7-H4.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.