title: Cervicovaginal matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cervical ripening in human term parturition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in cervicovaginal fluid during pregnancy and its association with parturition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted on nulliparous women between 16 and 42 weeks with normal singleton pregnancies in the following categories: (1) preterm control (n=39); (2) term labor induction without labor or rupture of membranes (n=68); (3) term spontaneous labor with intact membranes (n=42); (4) term premature rupture of membranes (n=24). The MMP-9 concentration in the cervicovaginal fluid was measured by immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Cervicovaginal MMP-9 did not change significantly with advancing gestation until 37 weeks, and significantly increased after 37 weeks. (2) Cervicovaginal MMP-9 levels were similar in women with no labor, spontaneous labor, and premature rupture of membranes at term. (3) For the induced labor group, a high Bishop score (>or=4) was significantly correlated with cervicovaginal MMP-9. However, an elevated cervicovaginal MMP-9 did not predict achieving active phase of labor or vaginal delivery after labor induction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervicovaginal MMP-9 correlated with cervical ripening before labor at term. However, cervicovaginal MMP-9 did not change with spontaneous labor or rupture of membranes at term and did not predict success of labor induction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Suk-Joo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyung-Lan
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Soo-young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jong-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheong-Rae
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Roh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000201:enzymology; D020070:Cervical Ripening / Q000502:physiology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000201:enzymology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014621:Vagina / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9