title: Early second trimester maternal plasma levels of thrombin-inhibitor complexes and subsequent spontaneous preterm delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increased thrombin generation has been implicated as a mechanism for several obstetric syndromes including preterm birth preceded by preterm labor (PTL) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). In this study, we attempted to determine whether PTL or PPROM are associated with changes in the maternal plasma thrombin level during the early second trimester.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case-control study in which maternal thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) III complex concentrations at 15-21 weeks were compared between normal controls (n = 85) and women subsequently delivering preterm, due to either PTL with intact membranes (n = 21) or PPROM (n = 20). Statistical analysis was conducted using non-parametric statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PTL patients with intact membranes showed non-significant differences in median plasma TAT level (110.1 µg/L) compared with the control group (107.9 µg/L). Similarly, women destined to deliver preterm because of PPROM had non-significantly higher plasma TAT level (134.3 µg/L) than those in the control group (107.9 µg/L) (p > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that after controlling for confounders including vaginal bleeding, TAT levels remained not significantly associated with subsequent spontaneous preterm birth (p = 0.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal plasma TAT level is unsuitable as an early second trimester predictor of preterm birth preceded by PTL or PPROM.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Da Eun
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: So Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: June Seek
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Shin Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Hyae
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jae Hyug
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hyun Mee
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ryu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D013917:Thrombin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000991:Antithrombins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D013917:Thrombin