Can Non-invasive Sampling Determine the Inflammatory Status of the Intra-uterine Environment?

December 8, 2014 updated by: Daniel Kiefer, Winthrop University Hospital

Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation) is a large problem in the United States and is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality and childhood neurological disability. Despite significant advances in the care of pregnant mothers, the incidence of preterm labor is on the rise. There is growing recognition that cytokines and inflammatory mediators present at amniotic fluid and placenta play a fundamental role in regulating labor.

Cytokines are chemicals in the fluid that tell the body's immune system what to do. These (and other biomarkers) can be measured with a small amount (a few drops) of amniotic fluid. The researchers have previously shown that people at risk for preterm labor have higher cytokine levels. However, understanding the in-utero environment currently requires invasive sampling, such as amniocentesis, to determine cytokine concentrations. This procedure has inherent risks, causes patient discomfort and anxiety, and thus does not avail itself to routine use or repeated sampling, especially in non-high risk patients. Therefore, the researchers are looking for non-invasive sampling that can predict the in-utero environment.

To date, no studies have simultaneously evaluated different maternal-fetal compartments to determine the relationship of these markers among the compartments. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study is to determine the differential expression of inflammatory mediators in various maternal-fetal compartments; specifically, vaginal fluid, cervical secretions, placenta, cord blood (arterial and venous), amniotic fluid, maternal serum, maternal urine, and maternal saliva.

The researchers seek to obtain fluid samples from nine maternal-fetal compartments and determine the inflammatory mediator expression in each. The timing of collection, location, and proposed studies for each of the samples is outlined in Table 1. In this pilot study, we plan to enroll 20 patients undergoing cesarean delivery.

After consent, the samples will be collected and given a unique Study ID number. No protected health information will be collected. In addition, there will be no link between the Study ID and patient identifiers. Therefore, we are not seeking HIPAA authorization at the time of consent. While none of these samples would routinely be collected as part of the standard of care, the collection procedures meet the criteria for minimal risk.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

The researchers seek to obtain fluid samples from nine maternal-fetal compartments and determine the inflammatory mediator expression in each. These mediators include cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors via the Bio-Plex™ Suspension Array system. In this study, we plan to enroll 20 patients undergoing cesarean delivery at term.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Undergoing cesarean delivery
  • Able to provide informed consent, including permission of storage of specimens
  • No apparent major fetal abnormality

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Major Fetal Malformation
  • Rupture of membranes

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Cesarean Delivery Patients
Other: Specimen Collection
We will compare mediators from non-invasive samples (blood, urine, saliva, vaginal or cervical secretions) with traditional gold-standard invasive samples (amniotic fluid and placenta samples).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Cytokine Correlation
Time Frame: 6 months
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Winthrop University Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Nazeeh Hanna, MD, Winthrop University Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 18, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 19, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 22, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 9, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 8, 2014

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 09042

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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