Serum urocortin in preterm labor is it an effective biomarker?

ABSTRACT

Background: Preterm labor classically defined as delivery before completed 37 gestational weeks. Urocortin a biomarker that have raised recent research interest is a 40-amino acid neuropeptide related to the corticotrophin-releasing factor molecular family. Interestingly urocortin is produced by gestational tissue such as amnion and chorion predictability of preterm labor by biomarker assay could enhance management levels particularly in cases of preterm labor that are considered a frequent clinical scenario in obstetric practice. Aim of the study was to assess and evaluate the serum levels of urocortin predictability capacity in cases that develop preterm labor.Methods: The current research clinical trial was conducted in a prospective way there was two research groups 60 study subjects had threatened preterm labor and 60 normal research study subjects that delivered at term. Comparative analysis was performed for urocortin assay conducted in both research groups in correlation to gathered clinical data obtained from both research groups.Results: Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) between preterm and term delivery research groups as regards plasma urocortin level (pg/ml) as a predictor of pre term delivery showing that a cut-off point level >101.3 pg/ml in which statistical sensitivity=88.33%, statistical specificity=75%, positive predictive value=77.9, negative predictive value=86.5.Conclusions: This research finding reveal that maternal serum urocortin is an effective biomarker in predictability of preterm labor; however future research studies should be multicentric in fashion putting in consideration the racial and ethnic differences besides the impact of BMI on maternal serum urocortin indices.