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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
First-trimester cervical inflammatory milieu and subsequent early preterm birth
Hyagriv N Simhan1, Marijane A Krohn
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Objective:
Our objective was to explore the relation between the pro- and antiinflammatory cervical cytokine balance in early pregnancy and subsequent early preterm birth.
Study Design:
In this prospective cohort of 218 pregnant women who were enrolled in the first trimester, we assayed cervical concentrations of interleukin-1alpha, -1beta, -6, -4, -10, and -13. Based on these cytokines, we categorized subjects into 1 of 3 strata: high proinflammatory/low antiinflammatory, high antiinflammatory/low proinflammatory, or balanced. The primary outcome of interest was preterm birth at < 34 weeks' gestation.
Results:
Women in the high antiinflammatory/low proinflammatory stratum had a subsequent odds ratio for preterm birth < 34 weeks' gestation of 7.7 (95% CI, 4.9-9.1; P = .01), after adjustment for marital status, smoking, bacterial vaginosis, maternal race, and less than high school education.
Conclusion:
Women with a relatively hyporesponsive cervical inflammatory milieu in early pregnancy are at higher risk of subsequent early spontaneous preterm birth.
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