title: Frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy of the uterine cervix during regular pregnancies.
abstract: Preterm labor is a common obstetric complication. Clinical evaluation of cervical ripening to predict preterm labor is very inaccurate. We used frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (FD-NIRS) to non-invasively investigate the changes of the optical properties (i.e., absorption and scattering of light) in the uterine cervix during regular pregnancies. Optical properties of uterine cervices were measured in 13 patients at various time points of regular pregnancies. For each gestational trimester, mean values with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for oxy-, deoxy-, and total hemoglobin concentration (O(2)Hb, HHb, tHb), tissue oxygen saturation and water content and statistically significant differences between the trimesters were determined. The wavelength-dependent scattering (scatter power) was calculated by an exponential fit. O(2)Hb, and tHb and the scatter power showed an increase as a function of the gestational age. Differences between the second and the third trimester were statistically significant. HHb and the water content showed no significant change over time. Our results show that FD-NIRS is a promising diagnostic tool for providing information about cervical content of hemoglobin, water, and extracellular matrix proteins. We propose this technology to assess the cervical ripening and eventually to predict preterm labor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 95, 9007, St. Gallen, Switzerland. rene.hornung@kssg.ch
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hornung
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spichtig
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baños
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stahel
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020070:Cervical Ripening / Q000378:metabolism*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D014867:Water; D010100:Oxygen
references.citation: Med Image Anal. 2006 Apr;10(2):125-36
references.pmid: 16143559
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1998 Feb 9;838:29-45
references.pmid: 9511793
references.citation: Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2009 May;144 Suppl 1:S70-6
references.pmid: 19303692
references.citation: Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2000 Sep;43(3):433-9
references.pmid: 10949747
references.citation: Hum Reprod. 1999 Nov;14(11):2908-16
references.pmid: 10548647
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2000 May 18;342(20):1500-7
references.pmid: 10816189
references.citation: Rev Sci Instrum. 2009 Feb;80(2):024301
references.pmid: 19256664
references.citation: Acta Biomater. 2008 Jan;4(1):104-16
references.pmid: 17904431
references.citation: Appl Opt. 1997 Jan 1;36(1):10-20
references.pmid: 18250643
references.citation: Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2009 May;144 Suppl 1:S82-9
references.pmid: 19303693
references.citation: Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2007 Dec 5;56(6):1-103
references.pmid: 18277471
references.citation: Lasers Med Sci. 2009 Nov;24(6):901-7
references.pmid: 19291352
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Feb;188(2):537-41
references.pmid: 12592268
references.citation: Lasers Surg Med. 2007 Sep;39(8):641-6
references.pmid: 17886282
references.citation: J Soc Gynecol Investig. 2002 Sep-Oct;9(5):265-75
references.pmid: 12383910
references.citation: Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2004 Nov 10;117(1):33-7
references.pmid: 15474241
references.citation: Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2005 Jun;84(6):516-25
references.pmid: 15901257
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Jul;193(1):23-9
references.pmid: 16021054
references.citation: Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2005 Jun;84(6):534-6
references.pmid: 15901259
references.citation: Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1995 Jun;38(2):267-79
references.pmid: 7554594
references.citation: Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1991;32(1):36-8
references.pmid: 1765316
references.citation: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Jul 08;(3):CD007235
references.pmid: 19588421
references.citation: J Perinat Med. 2005;33(5):383-91
references.pmid: 16238532
references.citation: BJOG. 2003 Apr;110 Suppl 20:66-70
references.pmid: 12763115
references.citation: Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2005 Jun;84(6):545-6
references.pmid: 15901264
references.citation: Lasers Med Sci. 2009 Jul;24(4):561-6
references.pmid: 19039621