title: Elevated soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM)-1 levels in maternal serum during term and preterm labor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection and inflammation are important mechanisms leading to preterm birth. Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) belongs to a family of cell surface receptors that seems to play an important role in fine-tuning the immune response. It has been demonstrated that sTREM-1 is involved in bacterial infection as well as in non-infectious inflammatory conditions. Few studies have investigated serum sTREM-1 expression during preterm labor. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess sTREM-1 concentrations in maternal serum during term and preterm labor.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case control study included 176 singleton pregnancies in the following groups: patients in (1) preterm labor, delivered before 34 weeks (PTB) (n = 52); (2) GA matched controls, not in labor, matched for gestational age (GA) with the PTB group (n = 52); (3) at term in labor (n = 40) and (4) at term not in labor (n = 32). sTREM-1 concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sTREM-1 was detected in all serum samples. Median sTREM-1 concentrations were significantly higher in women with PTB vs. GA matched controls (367 pg/ml, interquartile range (IQR) 304-483 vs. 273 pg/ml, IQR 208-334; P<0.001) and in women at term in labor vs. at term not in labor (300 pg/ml, IQR 239-353 vs. 228 pg/ml, IQR 174-285; P<0.001). Women with PTB had significantly higher levels of sTREM-1 compared to women at term in labor (P = 0.004). Multiple regression analysis, with groups recoded as three key covariates (labor, preterm and rupture of the membranes), showed significantly higher sTREM-1 concentrations for labor (+30%, P<0.001) and preterm (+15%, P = 0.005) after adjusting for educational level, history of PTB and sample age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  sTREM-1 concentrations in maternal serum were elevated during spontaneous term and preterm labor and sTREM-1 levels were significantly higher in preterm labor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. inge.tency@ugent.be
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tency
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verstraelen
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saerens
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Verhasselt
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaneechoutte
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Degomme
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verhelst
authors.forename: Marleen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Temmerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000097:blood*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D000073871:Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; C408842:TREM1 protein, human; D000073871:Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1