C-reactive protein as a biochemical marker of idiopathic preterm delivery

Each birth which has happened before gestation period of 37 weeks of gestation and which is not related to a degree of birth difficulty is called premature birth. Different researches pointed out that C-reactive protein (CRP) can be used as a possible marker of idiopathic preterm delivery.

To examine reliability of CRP in mothers serum as a marker of premature birth among pregnant women who had no of the known risks for premature birth. To determine critical value of CRP in pregnancies this ended up as a premature birth. To determine connection between value of CRP and low birth weight of the newborn. The research is done in a form of prospective study on 200 pregnant women. Research included pregnant women without known risks factors for premature birth with condition that those women had suitable antenatal protection. All pregnant women were divided in into two groups, experimental and control group. Experimental group is consisted of 150 pregnant women who were regularly controlled in ambulance. Control group consisted of 50 pregnant women who were hospitalized at the Department for Pathology of pregnancy due to threatening miscarriage symptoms of condition that tocolytic index were less than 4. The value of CRP in serum of all pregnant women was determined in period from 20 to 24th week of gestation. In further course of pregnancy we followed those pregnant women with more often premature birth and if premature birth occurred more often in pregnant women with increased value of CRP in relation to women who had normal values. As a critical value for CRP was taken > 2 median value. Besides descriptive statistic methods in evaluating data processing were used (see text for symbols) test, student's t-test, Fishers test and Mann-Whitney test.

Mean value of CRP in experimental group was 3.913 and in control group 14.92 (t = 4.72, p < 0.0001). Mean value of CRP was 18.17 in group of prematurely births and in women who gave birth on time 3.87 (t = 5.72, p < 0.0001). Value of CRP > 2 had 33 women who gave birth prematurely (16.5%).

CRP can be used as a reliable marker of idiopathic premature birth. CRP value which is connected with development of premature birth is 4 mg/l. There is connection between the value of CRP > 2 and low birth weight of the newborn.