title: Alteration of heat shock protein 70 expression levels in term and preterm delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), a highly conserved cellular stress protein, is produced in every organism from bacteria to man. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in Hsp70 concentrations between term and preterm deliveries.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 30 healthy term delivery and 99 preterm delivery (PD) women were recruited, including 46 women with preterm labor and intact membranes (PTL) with or without an intra-amniotic infection (IAI) and 53 women with a preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROMs) with or without IAI. The Hsp70 levels in the maternal and the umbilical cord sera were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the expression levels of Hsp70 in the placentas were determined by immunoblotting and real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to the expression levels in normal term controls, Hsp70 expression levels were upregulated in PD; similar changes in Hsp70 expression levels were detected in PD maternal and umbilical sera. Patients with IAI were associated with a higher Hsp70 concentration than those without IAI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest a probable contributing role of altered Hsp70 expression levels in the pathophysiology of PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , Zhengzhou 450052 , China.
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liting
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Linlin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000378:metabolism; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000378:metabolism*; D047929:Term Birth / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins