Prediction of preterm delivery using levels of VEGF and leptin in amniotic fluid from the second trimester: prediction rules

Excerpt

I was interested to read the paper by Hong SN and colleagues published in Arch Gynecol Obstet 2014 Oct. The purpose of the authors was to investigate whether levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and leptin in amniotic fluid during the second trimester could serve as prediction markers for preterm delivery [1]. VEGF and leptin levels were measured in every case of delivery at <37 weeks’ gestation (n = 36) and in 36 matched controls who delivered at ≥37 weeks’ gestation. They reported that amniotic fluid VEGF levels in the preterm group (32.24 ± 4.87 pg/ml) were significantly higher than those in the control group (23.49 ± 2.09 pg/ml) (p < 0.05). However, they found no statistically significant difference in leptin levels between groups. Based on their conclusion, amniotic fluid VEGF levels in the second trimester are more predictive of preterm delivery than leptin levels. …