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ABSTRACT: Introduction
Most known risk factors for preterm birth, a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality, are not modifiable. Advanced molecular techniques are increasingly being applied to identify biomarkers and pathways important in disease development and progression.Objectives
We review the state of the literature and assess it from an epidemiologic perspective.Methods
PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central were searched on January 31, 2019 for original articles published after 1998 that utilized an untargeted metabolomic approach to identify markers of preterm birth. Eligible manuscripts were peer-reviewed and included original data from untargeted metabolomics analyses of maternal tissue derived from human studies designed to determine mechanisms and predictors of preterm birth.Results
Of 2823 results, 14 articles met the inclusion requirements. There was little consistency in study design, outcome definition, type of biospecimen, or the inclusion of covariates and confounding factors, and few consistent associations with metabolites were identified in this review.Conclusion
Studies to date on metabolomic predictors of preterm birth are highly heterogeneous in both methodology and resulting metabolite identification. There is an urgent need for larger studies in well-defined populations, to determine biomarkers predictive of preterm birth, and to reveal mechanisms and targets for development of intervention strategies.
SUBMITTER: Carter RA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7805080 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Carter R A RA Pan K K Harville E W EW McRitchie S S Sumner S S
Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society 20190910 9
<h4>Introduction</h4>Most known risk factors for preterm birth, a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality, are not modifiable. Advanced molecular techniques are increasingly being applied to identify biomarkers and pathways important in disease development and progression.<h4>Objectives</h4>We review the state of the literature and assess it from an epidemiologic perspective.<h4>Methods</h4>PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central were searched on January 31, 2019 for original articl ...[more]