Evaluation of the measurement of ACTH, fibronectin, pentraxin 3 levels and cervical length in pregnant women under threatened preterm delivery

Objective: We aimed to compare ACTH, fibronectin and pentraxin 3 levels and cervical lengths in pregnant women under the risk of threatened preterm delivery with the levels in non-complicated normal pregnant women, to determine the significance of these markers on the threatened preterm delivery and to establish new markers which can be used as risk factors. Methods: Thirty healthy pregnant women and 30 pregnant women established the diagnosis of the threatened preterm delivery who were between 18 and 40 years old and at 24–34 weeks of gestation and admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Celal Bayar University were included in the study. Age, educational level, height/weight measurements, number of pregnancy, parity, smoking habit, presence of systemic disease and previous pregnancy histories were reviewed. Cervical length of all pregnant women participated in the study were measured by transvaginal sonography. After venous blood samples were collected, ACTH, fibronectin and pentraxin 3 levels were studied. The results were compared statistically in both groups via SPSS-20. Results: In our study, the preterm delivery incidence was 27.1%. The rate of pregnant women, who had preterm delivery, to the study group was 53.3%. When the data of study and control groups were compared, no significant difference was found in terms of sociodemographic characteristics (p>0.05). While mean cervical length in the study group was 17.56 mm, it was found as 44.74 mm in the control group, and the difference was considered as statistically significant (p<0.001). ACTH and fibronectin levels were compared in the data of study and control groups and the difference was not found to be statistically significant (p>0.05). While mean pentraxin 3 level in the study group was 35.83 pg/mL, it was found as 20.26 pg/mL in the control group, and the difference was considered as statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: We believe that pentraxin 3 as a new acute phase reactant can be used as a marker to establish the diagnosis of threatened preterm delivery or to support the diagnosis.