[Relationship between cervicovaginal ferritin levels in 22-26 weeks of pregnant women with spontaneous preterm delivery]

ABSTRACT

Low serum ferritin levels correlate with low iron stores, whereas high levels are associated with an acute-phase reaction. Our objective was to determine whether elevated levels of ferritin in the genital tract can be a potential marker to identify patients at risk for spontaneous preterm delivery. We performed a nested case-control study involving 28 women who had spontaneous preterm delivery. 28 term control subjects mathched for parity, age, education, previous history of PTL and vaginal bleeding selected from 275 women enrolled in the preterm prediction study of the prenatal care unit at Imam Hospital. Cervical ferritin was measured using radoimmunoassay. Cervical ferritin levels were significantly higher in women who subsequently had spontaneous early preterm delivery [mean +/- SD 54.5 +/- 5 ng/ml VS 36.39 +/- 1.59 in control, P=0.001]. Elevated cervical ferritin levels in 22=24 weeks of gestation in asymptomatic women are associated with subsequent spontaneous preterm birth. Cervical ferritin, alone or in combination with other potential markers, maybe a useful tool to help identify high risk women who would potentially benefit from such prospective intervention. Until the identification of such clinical interventions in a clinical trial, the use of cervical ferritin for the prediction of preterm delivery remains experimental