Comparison of cervicovaginal proinflammatory cytokines with fetal fibronectin and cervical length in predicting preterm labor in Egyptian woman

Spontaneous preterm birth remains a significant problem allover the world despite increase research to decrease its prevalence. Strategies have been limited by inability to identify patients at risk for preterm birth, as the majority of patients don't have historical risk factors. The development of an assay to detect cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin [fFN], proinflammatory cytokines along with transvaginal cervical length determination has greatly increased our ability to identify those patients with high risk. We performed quantitative analysis of fFN, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8 in cervicovaginal secretions by ELISA to predict preterm delivered patients with intact membrane and cervical dilatation of