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The purpose of this study was to compare intraamniotic inflammation vs microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) as predictors of adverse outcome in preterm labor with intact membranes.Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured in prospectively collected amniotic fluid from 305 women with preterm labor. MIAC was defined by amniotic fluid culture and/or detection of microbial 16S ribosomal DNA. Cases were categorized into 5 groups: infection (MIAC; IL-6, ≥11.3 ng/mL); severe inflammation (no MIAC; IL-6, ≥11.3 ng/mL); mild inflammation (no MIAC; IL-6, 2.6-11.2 ng/mL); colonization (MIAC; IL-6,2.6 ng/mL); negative (no MIAC; IL-6,2.6 ng/mL).The infection (n = 27) and severe inflammation (n = 36) groups had similar latency (median,1 day and 2 days, respectively) and similar rates of composite perinatal morbidity and mortality (81% and 72%, respectively). The colonization (n = 4) and negative (n = 195) groups had similar outcomes (median latency, 23.5 and 25 days; composite morbidity and mortality rates, 21% and 25%, respectively). The mild inflammation (n = 47) groups had outcomes that were intermediate to the severe inflammation and negative groups (median latency, 7 days; composite morbidity and mortality rates, 53%). In logistic regression adjusting for gestational age at enrollment, IL-6 ≥11.3 and 2.6-11.2 ng/mL, but not MIAC, were associated significantly with composite morbidity and mortality rates (odds ratio [OR], 4.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-11.2, OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5-6.4, and OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.6-5.5, respectively).We confirmed previous reports that intraamniotic inflammation is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes whether or not intraamniotic microbes are detected. Colonization without inflammation appears relatively benign. Intraamniotic inflammation is not simply present or absent but also has degrees of severity that correlate with adverse outcomes. We propose the designation amniotic inflammatory response syndrome to denote the adverse outcomes that are associated with intraamniotic inflammation.

Objective Preterm rupture of membranes (PROM) is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and neonatal morbidity. Prophylactic 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17OHP-C) reduces the risk of preterm birth in some women who are at risk for preterm birth. We sought to test whether 17OHP-C would prolong pregnancy or improve perinatal outcome when given to mothers with preterm rupture of the membranes. Study Design This is a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. The study included singleton pregnancies with gestational ages from 23 0/7 to 30 6/7 weeks at enrollment, documented PROM, and no contraindication to expectant management. Consenting women were assigned randomly to receive weekly intramuscular injections of 17OHP-C (250 mg) or placebo. The primary outcome was continuation of pregnancy until a favorable gestational age, which was defined as either 34 0/7 weeks of gestation or documentation of fetal lung maturity at 32 0/7 to 33 6/7 weeks of gestation. The 2 prespecified secondary outcomes were interval from randomization to delivery and composite adverse perinatal outcome. The planned sample size was 222 total women. Results From October 2011 to April 2014, 152 women were enrolled; 74 women were allocated randomly to 17OHP-C, and 78 were allocated randomly to placebo. The trial was stopped when results of a planned interim analysis suggested that continuation was futile. The primary outcome was achieved in 3% of the 17OHP-C group and 8% of the placebo group ( P = .18). There was no significant between-group difference in the prespecified secondary outcomes, randomization-to-delivery interval (17.1 ± 16.1 vs 17.0 ± 15.8 days, respectively; P = .76) or composite adverse perinatal outcome (63% vs 61%, respectively; P = .93). No significant differences were found in other outcomes, which included rates of chorioamnionitis, postpartum endometritis, cesarean delivery, individual components of the composite outcome, or prolonged neonatal length of stay. Conclusion Compared with placebo, weekly 17OHP-C injections did not prolong pregnancy or reduce perinatal morbidity in patients with PROM in this trial.

Objective Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) is common in early preterm labor and is associated with maternal and neonatal infectious morbidity. MIAC is usually occult and is reliably detected only with amniocentesis. We sought to develop a noninvasive test to predict MIAC based on protein biomarkers in cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) in a cohort of women with preterm labor (phase 1) and to validate the test in an independent cohort (phase 2). Study Design This was a prospective study of women with preterm labor who had amniocentesis to screen for MIAC. MIAC was defined by positive culture and/or 16S ribosomal DNA results. Nine candidate CVF proteins were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression was used to identify combinations of up to 3 proteins that could accurately classify the phase 1 cohort (N = 108) into those with or without MIAC. The best models, selected by area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve in phase 1, included various combinations of interleukin (IL)-6, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), alpha fetoprotein, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1. Model performance was then tested in the phase 2 cohort (N = 306). Results MIAC was present in 15% of cases in phase 1 and 9% in phase 2. A 3-marker CVF model using IL-6 plus CXCL1 plus insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 had AUC 0.87 in phase 1 and 0.78 in phase 2. Two-marker models using IL-6 plus CXCL1 or alpha fetoprotein plus CXCL1 performed similarly in phase 2 (AUC 0.78 and 0.75, respectively), but were not superior to CVF IL-6 alone (AUC 0.80). A cutoff value of CVF IL-6 ≥463 pg/mL (which had 81% sensitivity in phase 1) predicted MIAC in phase 2 with sensitivity 79%, specificity 78%, positive predictive value 38%, and negative predictive value 97%. Conclusion High levels of IL-6 in CVF are strongly associated with MIAC. If developed into a bedside test or rapid laboratory assay, cervicovaginal IL-6 might be useful in selecting patients in whom the probability of MIAC is high enough to warrant amniocentesis or transfer to a higher level of care. Such a test might also guide selection of potential subjects for treatment trials.