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Updated: Nov 28, 2025
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Maternal H-antigen secretor status is an early biomarker for potential preterm delivery
Jennifer Caldwell1,2, Adam Matson1,2, Maua Mosha3
1Division of Neonatology, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, CT, USA.
Objective:
Pre-pregnancy or first trimester biomarkers predicting preterm delivery are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether maternal H-antigen (secretor status) is a potential biomarker for preterm delivery.
Methods:
This cohort study examined maternal saliva samples and birth data gathered by the National Children's Study Vanguard pilot phase (2009-2014) and included 300 women who were ≥18 years old and provided birth data and saliva samples. The maternal secretor status phenotype was determined by quantifying H-antigen in saliva using enzyme-linked immunoassay. Mothers were stratified by secretor status and multivariable analysis estimated adjusted associations with preterm delivery.
Results:
Maternal lack of H-antigen production was an independent risk factor for preterm delivery after adjusting for known confounders (aOR 4.53; 95% CI: 1.74, 11.81; P = 0.002).
Conclusions:
Maternal H-antigen may be a biomarker identifying women at-risk for preterm delivery. Prospective cohort studies validating these findings are needed.
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