title: Maternal serum and vaginal fluid C-reactive protein levels do not predict early-onset neonatal infection in preterm premature rupture of membranes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of maternal serum and vaginal fluid C-reactive protein (CRP) determinations in the prediction of neonatal congenital infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty women between 24 and 36 weeks gestation, complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM), were divided into two groups according to the presence (n=14) or absence (n=36) of early-onset newborns' infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal serum and vaginal fluid CRP concentrations were comparable between both groups. Serum CRP levels ≥10 and ≥15 mg l(-1) predicted neonatal infection with a sensitivity of 47 and 47%, specificity of 63 and 76%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 38 and 47%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 72 and 76%, respectively. The cutoff value of vaginal CRP ≥2.4 mg l(-1) predicted infection with a sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 47%, PPV of 34%, and NPV of 81%. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the predictive performance of CRP was poor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal serum and vaginal fluid CRP determinations after pPROM are of poor predictive value in neonatal early-onset infection prediction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. torbea@wp.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torbé
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kowalski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein