Reproductive and Urinary Physiology Commons^™

Identifying Predictors For Inflammation-Induced Preterm Birth: A Murine Study, Tzu Ning Liu Bs, Jose Galaz Md, Nardhy Gomez-Lopez Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. A large proportion of preterm deliveries is affected by intra-amniotic inflammation, which can occur in the presence (intra-amniotic infection) or absence (sterile intra-amniotic inflammation) of microbes. Studies have shown an association between intra-amniotic inflammation, cervical shortening, and changes in the cervicovaginal microbiome. However, their causal relationships are unknown. This study aims to determine the causality of intra-amniotic inflammation, cervical shortening, and cervicovaginal microbiome alterations.

Methods: Pregnant C57BL/6 dams received an ultrasound-guided intra-amniotic injection of an endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the alarmin interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) on 16.5 …