title: Preoperative and postoperative serum C-reactive protein levels to predict the outcome of ultrasound-indicated cerclage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of preoperative and postoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level on the prediction of pregnancy outcomes following ultrasound-indicated cerclage (UIC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records 44 women who underwent UIC between January 2011 and December 2011. UIC was performed between 14 and 24 weeks of gestation in women with short cervix. We divided UIC patients into two groups according to the gestational age at delivery (34 weeks) and compared the two groups. Group A was defined as patients who delivered ≥34 weeks of gestation, and group B as patients delivered <34 weeks. Correlation and receiver-operating characteristic curves were also analyzed for the prediction of preterm birth after UIC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty women delivered ≥34 weeks (group A) and 14 women delivered <34 weeks (group B). Pre- and post-cerclage CRP were significantly lower in group A (pre-cerclage CRP, 1.1±1.0 vs. 11.4±6.2 mg/dL, P<0.001; post-cerclage CRP, 0.6±0.5 vs. 7.4±7.2 mg/dL, P<0.001). The mean gestational age at delivery in group A was 37.7±1.8 weeks and that in group B was 26.9±4.3 weeks (P<0.001). There were significant negative correlations between pre- and post-cerclage CRP and latency from UIC to delivery (r=-0.82, P<0.001; r=-0.70, P<0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both pre- and post-cerclage CRP were useful in predicting the preterm birth following UIC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Eun
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1030-0096
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ga Hyun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Keun Young
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: C-reactive protein; Ultrasound-indicated cerclage