In brief The syndrome of preterm labor comprises multiple established and novel etiologies.
This review summarizes the distinct immune mechanisms implicated in preterm labor and …

Acute inflammatory lesions of the placenta consist of diffuse infiltration of neutrophils at
different sites in the organ. These lesions include acute chorioamnionitis, funisitis, and …

Preterm birth is associated with 5 to 18% of pregnancies and is a leading cause of infant
morbidity and mortality. Spontaneous preterm labor, a syndrome caused by multiple …

'Omic'technologies adopt a holistic view of the molecules that make up a cell, tissue or
organism. They are aimed primarily at the universal detection of genes (genomics), mRNA …

Although individual behaviors have not been proven to have a strong influence on the risk of
preterm birth, consistent evidence suggests that a constellation of favorable lifestyle factors …

The focus of this article is to review the recent advances in proteome analysis of human
body fluids, including plasma/serum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, bronchoalveolar …

The cervix serves as a protective barrier from invading microorganisms and as a structural
barrier to delivery of the fetus. Among all biological processes, the phenomenal connective …

Background Normal and abnormal processes of pregnancy and childbirth are poorly
understood. This second article in a global report explains what is known about the …

Impaired vitamin D status is common to many populations around the world. However, data
suggest that this is a particular problem for specific groups such as pregnant women. This …

The signals and mechanisms that synchronize the timing of human parturition remain a
mystery and a better understanding of these processes is essential to avert adverse …