title: Predicting lung maturity in preterm rupture of membranes via lamellar bodies count from a vaginal pool: a cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amniocentesis is the accepted mode of attaining amniotic fluid to perform tests for fetal lung maturity. The purpose of this study was to validate a non-invasive fetal lung maturity test by counting lamellar bodies from a vaginal pool among women with preterm premature rupture of membranes.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, amniotic fluid specimens were collected from a vaginal pool from women after preterm premature rupture of membranes with gestational age between 27 and 36 completed weeks. Receiver operating characteristics curve was estimated to assess the threshold of lamellar bodies' count that may predict fetal lung maturity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five specimens were collected of which 17 were between 32 to 34 weeks. A lamellar bodies' count of 28,000 or more predicted mature fetus 100% of the time (specificity) among all women and also among women between 32 to 34 weeks. The sensitivity was 72% among all and 92% when gestational age was between 32 to 34 weeks. A count of 8,000 or less, predicted respiratory distress syndrome with a sensitivity of 98% among the whole group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Counting of lamellar bodies in amniotic fluid from a vaginal pool may be used to predict fetal lung maturity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula, Israel. salim_ra@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: Raed
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salim
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zafran
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nachum
authors.forename: Gali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garmi
authors.forename: Eliezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shalev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D008566:Membranes / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014621:Vagina / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult