Maternal serum calponin 1 level as a biomarker for the short-term prediction of preterm birth in women with threatened preterm labor.

PURPOSE: To assess the utility of maternal serum calponin 1 level in the prediction of delivery within 7 days among pregnancies complicated with threatened preterm labor.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Eligible women who presented at 24-34 weeks of gestation with threatened preterm labor underwent sampling for serum calponin 1 level and cervical length measurement. They were followed up until delivery prospectively and the perinatal outcomes of the patients were recorded.

RESULTS

Of 73 women included in the study, 36 women delivered within 7 days and 37 women delivered beyond 7 days after admission. The maternal serum calponin 1 level was significantly high in women who delivered within 7 days (p: 0.031). The threshold value of 2 ng/mL for maternal serum calponin 1 predicted delivery within 7 days with 61.1% sensitivity and 62.2 specificity (area under curve, 0.658, confidence interval 0.53-0.79). The general accuracy values for maternal cervical length measurement (≤25 mm), serum calponin 1 level (>2 ng/mL) and the combination of two tests to predict delivery within 7 days was found to be 64.4%, 61.6% and 72.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The maternal serum calponin 1 level may be a useful biomarker in short-term prediction of preterm birth among pregnancies complicated with threatened preterm labor, in addition to cervical length measurement.