title: [Analysis of periodontal status in pregnant women with a diagnosis of threatened premature labor].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the associations between periodontal conditions and delivery outcomes in pregnant women with a diagnosis of threatened premature labor (TPL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty systemically healthy pregnant women were enrolled in the study. The case group was composed of 40 pregnant women hospitalized with the diagnosis of TPL and the control group was composed of 40 normal pregnant women. Periodontal examinations included assessments of plaque index (PLI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing depth (PD), bleeding index (BI) and the percentage of periodontitis sites (PD > 3 mm, CAL > or = 2mm). The serum level of IL-6 was determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA). The data were analyzed with SPSS11.0 software package for chi2 test, Student's t test and Pearson correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  40 subjects were clarified as TPL and 14 as TPL-PB. 26 TPL women subsequently delivered TB infants. No infants were delivered as PB in 40 subjects clarified as non-TPL. There were no significant differences in the mean ages and gestational age at examination between the non-TPL and TPL groups or between the TPL-TB, and TPL-PB groups. There were significant differences in gestational age at delivery and birth weight between the non-TPL and TPL groups or between the TPL-TB, and TPL-PB groups (P < 0.05). The mean PLI, percentage of periodontitis sites and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the TPL group than those of the non-TPL group. The mean PLI, BI, and percentage of periodontitis sites were significantly higher in the TPL-PB group than those of the TPL-TB group. Significant negative correlations were observed between the gestational age at delivery and percentage of periodontitis sites as well as BI (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Periodontal inflammation might be involved in the pathogenesis of preterm birth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Stomatology, Hangzhou 310006, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing-Jia
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Feng-Bing
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology