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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Modeling Ascending Vaginal Infection, Preterm Birth, and Neonatal Morbidity in Mice
Published on: October 10, 2025
Inflammatory and infectious risk factors are associated with the response to tocolysis in patients with preterm labor
Michela Torricelli1, Chiara Voltolini, Nathalie Conti
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Objective:
Inflammation/infection is the most frequent conditions leading to preterm delivery (PTD). A few studies have assessed the clinical efficacy of long-term tocolysis with ritodrine hydrochloride. In this study, the relationship among inflammatory/infective risk factors of PTD, the response to long-term tocolysis, and timing of delivery were evaluated in women with preterm labor.
Methods:
On the basis of different responses to long-term tocolysis, defined as ≥ 7 days tocolysis, the cohort were classified as: (i) patients delivering at term (Group A) and (ii) patients delivering preterm (group B). Group B was subclassified as: (i) delivery before 48 h (group B1); (ii) delivery between 48 h and 7 days (Group B2), and (iii) delivery after 7 days (Group B3). Group B is divided in early preterm (<32 weeks) (Group B early) and late PTD (32-36 weeks) (Group B late).
Results:
Group A delivered at term and Group B preterm. Group B showed significantly higher (p < 0.0001) rate of CRP, bacterial vaginosis, and chorioamnionitis at placental histological examination than Group A. The same parameters were statistically higher (p < 0.0001) in group B1 than in B3. CRP, chorioamnionitis at placental histological examination was statistically higher (p < 0.0001) in Group B early than in Group B late.
Conclusions:
This retrospective study suggested that in women affected by preterm labor, the long-term tocolysis with intravenous ritodrine is able to prolong gestation beyond 7 days, in absence of inflammatory/infective risk factors of PTD.
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