The aim of this study was to explore the associations between immunological markers and anthropometric measures with linear/nonlinear parameters corresponding to the superficial electromyographic activity of uterus, or electrohysterogram (EHG), at parturition.
METHODS
Ten minutes of EHG signals were recorded from twenty healthy volunteers in active labor at term (40±1 weeks). These signals were normalized and analyzed to estimate relevant linear and nonlinear parameters such as the average root mean square (RMS) value, the area under the curve (AUC) and the sample entropy (SampEn). Furthermore, serum levels of several maternal molecules associated with the inflammatory response in active labor such as the interleukin (IL)-10 family, the B cell activating factor belonging to the TNF family (BAFF/TNFSF13B), and the soluble hemoglobin scavenger receptor CD163 (sCD163) were all analyzed using multiplex immunoassays. In addition, we obtained maternal anthropometric measures such as the body mass index (BMI), weight, abdominal and hip circumference.
RESULTS
We found several moderate but significant positive correlations between the SampEn of the EHG signals with BMI: r = 0.54, p = 0.01; weight: r = 0.41, p = 0.03 and hip circumference: r = 0.38, p = 0.04. Also, the average RMS of EHG signals exhibited moderate positive significant correlations with IL-28A: r = 0.48, p = 0.01; sCD163: r = 0.43, p = 0.02 and BAFF/TNFSF13B: r = 0.49, p = 0.01.
CONCLUSION
Our results show that larger anthropometric measures were associated with higher irregularity of uterine electrical activity, and that elevated serum concentrations of IL-28A, BAFF/TNFSF13B and sCD163 were related to increased uterine muscle activity. These findings suggest an interaction among anthropometric measures, uterine activity, and inflammatory parameters at active labor.
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