title: [Can genital infections alter the results of preterm birth predictive tests?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if the presence of infectious agents in vaginal or cervical content can alter the results of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (phIGFBP-1) test and the measurement of cervical length (CC) by transvaginal ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 107 pregnant women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth were submitted to the phIGFBP-1 test and to measurement of CC by transvaginal ultrasonography every 3 weeks, between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation. Genital infections were determined immediately before testing. The patients were distributed into four groups (GA, GB, GC, and GD) and the correlation between genital infection and changes in the tests was determined within each group based on the odds ratio (OR) and the Pearson correlation coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In each group, over 50% of the patients had genital infections (GA 10/17; GB 28/42; GC 15/24; GD 35/53), with bacterial vaginosis being the main alteration of the vaginal flora. Positive results for phIGFBP-1(GA 10/10; GB 18/28; GC 15/15; GD 19/35) and CC ≤ 20 mm (GA 10/10; GB 20/28; GC 10/15; GD 20/35) were obtained more frequently in patients with genital infection in all groups. Nonetheless, when applying the Pearson correlation coefficient we detected a poor correlation between genital infection and positivity for markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of changes in the vaginal flora and of other genital infections does not significantly alter the results of phIGFBP-1 and the measurement of cervical length when compared to cases without infection. However, more studies with larger samples are necessary to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetrícia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cristiane de Freitas
authors.initials: Cde F
authors.lastname: Paganoti
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetrícia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Roberto Eduardo
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Bittar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetrícia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mário Henrique Burlacchini
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetrícia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rossana Pulcineli Vieira
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Francisco
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetrícia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zugaib
mesh_terms: D054791:Cervical Length Measurement; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000032:analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: C032231:IGFBP1 protein, human; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1