title: Is the collagen content reduced when the fetal membranes rupture? A clinical study of term and prematurely ruptured membranes.
abstract: In 15 patients experiencing premature rupture of the fetal membranes (PROM) and in 15 control subjects having delivered spontaneously at term, the collagen content of the membranes was determined by the hydroxyproline method. From each patient two membrane specimens were obtained, one from the rupture margin and another from the membranes in close relation to the placental margin. No significant difference in the collagen content was demonstrated between the two groups of patients. Moreover, no significant difference was observed comparing the collagen content within the paired membrane specimens of each patient in each group. Neither was there any obvious change in the membrane collagen content in relation to clinical signs of chorioamnionitis or microbiological findings. It is concluded that changes in the collagen content of the fetal membranes bear no significance as to the etiology of PROM, neither is such a change involved in the mechanism of membrane rupture at term.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005321:Extraembryonic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen