Metabolite Profile of Cervicovaginal Fluids from Early Pregnancy Is Not Predictive of Spontaneous Preterm Birth

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Melinda M. Thomas³  Karolina Sulek³  Elizabeth J. McKenzie³  Beatrix Jones⁴  Ting-Li Han³  Silas G. Villas-Boas⁵  Louise C. Kenny¹  Lesley M. E. McCowan²  Philip N. Baker³  Alejandro Cifuentes⁶ 

[1] The Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research, University College Cork, Wilton 06897, Cork, Ireland;Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, 2 Park Road, Auckland 1023, New Zealand;Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Auckland 1023, New Zealand;Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany Campus, Auckland 0632, New Zealand;School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;;Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Auckland 1023, New Zealand

关键词: metabolomics;    cervicovaginal;    biomarkers;    spontaneous preterm birth;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms161126052

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

In our study, we used a mass spectrometry-based metabolomic approach to search for biomarkers that may act as early indicators of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Samples were selected as a nested case-control study from the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) biobank in Auckland, New Zealand. Cervicovaginal swabs were collected at 20 weeks from women who were originally assessed as being at low risk of sPTB. Samples were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Despite the low amount of biomass (16–23 mg), 112 compounds were detected. Statistical analysis showed no significant correlations with sPTB. Comparison of reported infection and plasma inflammatory markers from early pregnancy showed two inflammatory markers were correlated with reported infection, but no correlation with any compounds in the metabolite profile was observed. We hypothesise that the lack of biomarkers of sPTB in the cervicovaginal fluid metabolome is simply because it lacks such markers in early pregnancy. We propose alternative biofluids be investigated for markers of sPTB. Our results lead us to call for greater scrutiny of previously published metabolomic data relating to biomarkers of sPTB in cervicovaginal fluids, as the use of small, high risk, or late pregnancy cohorts may identify metabolite biomarkers that are irrelevant for predicting risk in normal populations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.