abstract
This article presents an account of the research carried out so far in the use of metabolomics to find biomarkers of preterm birth (PTB) in fetal, maternal, and newborn biofluids. Metabolomic studies have employed mainly nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy or mass spectrometry-based methodologies to analyze, on one hand, prenatal biofluids (amniotic fluid, maternal urine/maternal blood, cervicovaginal fluid) to identify predictive biomarkers of PTB, and on the other hand, biofluids collected at or after birth (amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, newborn urine, and newborn blood, maternal blood, or breast milk) to assess and follow up the health status of PTB babies. Besides advancing on the biochemical knowledge of PTB metabolism mainly during the in utero period and at birth, the work carried out has also helped to identify important requirements related to experimental design and analytical protocol that need to be addressed, if translation of these biomarkers to the clinic is to be envisaged. An outlook of possible future developments for the translation of laboratory results to the clinic is presented.
keywords
TRIMESTER AMNIOTIC-FLUID; INBORN-ERRORS; MATERNAL URINE; PRENATAL DISORDERS; NMR METABOLOMICS; EARLY-PREGNANCY; FORMULA MILK; METABOLISM; BLOOD; PREECLAMPSIA
subject category
Obstetrics & Gynecology; Reproductive Biology
authors
Gil, AM; Duarte, D
our authors
Ana Maria Pissarra Coelho Gil
Associate Professor with Aggregation
Daniela Duarte
PhD Studentacknowledgements
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials project: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID /CTM/50011/2013), financed by FCT/MEC and FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT):SFRH/BD/119509/2016 grant. Portuguese National NMR Network (RNRMN), supported by FCT funds.