Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 25, 2026
14:43
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
12.5K
Screening for Preterm Birth: Potential for a Metabolomics Biomarker Panel
Elizabeth C Considine1, Ali S Khashan2,3, Louise C Kenny4
1The Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Cork, Cork T12 YE02, Ireland. lizconsidine@gmail.com.
Metabolites
|May 10, 2019
Summary
This study identified maternal serum biomarkers for spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) prediction. A panel of four metabolites at 20 weeks gestation showed significant predictive accuracy in asymptomatic women.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Metabolomics
- Reproductive Medicine
Background:
- Spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality.
- Early prediction of SPTB in asymptomatic women remains a clinical challenge.
- Maternal serum metabolomics offers a promising avenue for identifying predictive biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate maternal serum metabolomic profiles for predicting SPTB.
- To identify candidate biomarkers at 15 and 20 weeks of gestation.
- To develop a predictive biomarker panel for SPTB.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of serum metabolomics LC-MS datasets from a cohort of pregnant women.
- Comparison of cases (SPTB) and controls (full-term birth).
- Multivariate and univariate statistical analyses to identify candidate biomarkers, followed by panel development and cross-validation.
Main Results:
- High concordance (85%) between multivariate and univariate analyses at 20 weeks gestation.
- A four-feature biomarker panel demonstrated significant predictive capability for SPTB (pAUC=12.2, sensitivity=87.8%, specificity=57.7%, p=0.0013).
- The panel included metabolites from Bile Acids, Prostaglandins, Vitamin D, and Fatty Acids groups.
Conclusions:
- Maternal serum metabolomics can identify potential biomarkers for SPTB prediction.
- A panel of four metabolites shows promise for early SPTB risk assessment in asymptomatic pregnancies.
- Further validation is warranted to confirm the clinical utility of this biomarker panel.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Birth Control Methods
5.9K
Vasectomy is a surgical form of male sterilization that involves severing and sealing the vasa deferentia, preventing sperm from mixing with semen during ejaculation. Because a vasectomy does not impact the testes' ability to produce testosterone, hormone levels, libido, and sexual function generally remain unchanged. While vasectomy is highly effective in preventing pregnancy, with a success rate near 99.85%, rare cases of recanalization (spontaneous reconnection) can occur. Although...
5.9K
01:18Wood Panel Products
371
Wood panel products are essential materials used in construction for applications such as flooring, siding, and roofing, typically available in standard dimensions of 4 feet by 8 feet, with thicknesses varying from one-quarter of an inch to one and one-eighth inches. Among the most common types of wood panels is plywood, which is produced by gluing multiple layers of thin wood veneers under pressure. The grain of the outer veneers runs lengthwise, while the grains of the interior layers run...
371
00:52Potential Energy
42.4K
The energy stored by a structure and location of matter in space is called potential energy. For instance, raising a kettlebell changes its spatial location and increases its potential energy. Similarly, a stretched rubber band contains potential energy which, under certain conditions, can be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy.
Chemical bonds that form attractive forces between atoms also contain potential energy, called chemical energy. When a chemical reaction...
Chemical bonds that form attractive forces between atoms also contain potential energy, called chemical energy. When a chemical reaction...
42.4K
01:09Potential Energy
984
A conservative force, such as a gravitational or elastic force, gives the body the capacity to do work. This capacity, measured as the potential energy, depends on the body's location or “position” relative to a fixed reference position or datum. The gravitational potential energy is considered zero at the reference point. Suppose a body is located at some vertical distance above a fixed horizontal reference or datum. In that case, the weight of the body has positive gravitational potential...
984
03:02Standard Electrode Potentials
50.0K
On comparing the reactivity of silver and lead, it is observed that the two ionic species, Ag+ (aq) and Pb2+ (aq), show a difference in their redox reactivity towards copper: the silver ion undergoes spontaneous reduction, while the lead ion does not. This relative redox activity can be easily quantified in electrochemical cells by a property called cell potential. This property is commonly known as cell voltage in electrochemistry, and it is a measure of the energy which accompanies the charge...
50.0K
02:58Cell Potential and Free Energy
46.4K
Thermodynamics of a Redox Reaction
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics dealing with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. In an electrochemical cell, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Thus, a link can be predicted between cell potential, free energy change, and the equilibrium constant for the reaction. Cell potential can also be measured as the oxidant or the reducing strength, and similar acid-base strength measures are reflected in equilibrium...
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics dealing with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. In an electrochemical cell, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Thus, a link can be predicted between cell potential, free energy change, and the equilibrium constant for the reaction. Cell potential can also be measured as the oxidant or the reducing strength, and similar acid-base strength measures are reflected in equilibrium...
46.4K