A comparative study of positive rate of placental alpha-microglobulin-1 test in pre-term pregnant women with and without uterine contraction

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare positive placental alpha-microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1) test rates with clinical significance of pre-term pregnant women, intact membrane with and without uterine contraction. A prospective analytic study was performed including 100 pre-term pregnant women with intact membranes. Patients were classified into two groups, patients with uterine contraction (n = 50) and patients without contraction (n = 50). Conventional standard methods were performed to exclude rupture of membranes. PAMG-1 test was performed. Positive results of the tests and clinical significance (including time from test to delivery, route of delivery and outcomes of the fetuses) were determined. PAMG-1 positive rate was 10% (5/50) and 0% in contraction group and no contraction group, respectively (p = 0.028). Gestational age at delivery and test-to-delivery interval were less in contraction group than those in no-contraction group. When compared between positive test (n = 5) and negative test (n = 45) in pre-term contraction. Test-to-delivery interval was shorter positive group (20 vs 720 h, p = 0.025). In conclusion, in pre-term pregnant women with intact membranes, PAMG-1 test rates are more positive in cases of uterine contraction. Pre-term pregnant women in labour with a positive PAMG-1 test had a significantly shorter test-to-delivery interval than those with a negative test.

Keywords::

• Contraction
• labour
• latency
• placental alpha-microglobulin-1
• pre-term

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the assistance of medical and nursing staff of the Antenatal Care Unit and Labor Room, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, for their help in recruiting patients for this study.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

This research was supported by a Grant for Development of New Faculty Staff, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.