The Actim Partus test to predict pre-term birth in asymptomatic high-risk women

Abstract

The Actim Partus test has been shown to be a useful predictor of pre-term birth in symptomatic women, but limited research has been carried out in high-risk asymptomatic women. This is a pilot study to evaluate the use of this test as a direct comparator with the fetal fibronectin test. All asymptomatic high-risk women attending a pre-term surveillance clinic over a 9-month period, took an Actim Partus and fetal fibronectin test, between 23 ⁺⁰–24 ⁺⁶ weeks’ gestation. A total of 45 women were eligible. The positive and negative predictive values of the Actim Partus test for delivery at ≤ 37 weeks’ gestation were 0% and 70%, respectively, compared with the fetal fibronectin test, with values of 67% and 79%, respectively. It was concluded that the Actim Partus test did not perform well as a predictor of pre-term birth in high-risk asymptomatic women.

Keywords::

• Actim partus test
• fFN test
• pIGFBP-1
• pre-term birth

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Actim Partus (Medix Biochemica, Finland) for providing the bedside kits for this study and to all the women who took part in this evaluation.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. Professor Shennan has received financial and consumable support to perform studies from both Actim Partus (Medix Biochemica, Finland) and Hologic (Surrey, UK).