Role of Bacterial Infection in Preterm Birth and Study of Expression of TGF-BETA in Preterm Birth.

Abstract

Background: World health still struggles with Preterm Birth (PTB), which causes infant death and morbidity. 5% to 25% of pregnancies worldwide result in preterm birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks. This study will examine if bacterial infections cause premature labour and compare TGF-BETA gene expression in preterm and full-term newborns.

Methods: The research took performed at BHU in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, from September 2019 to May 2021. Pre-eclampsia and multiple pregnancies were excluded, however preterm labour before 37 weeks was included. SPSS 21.0 was used to compare socio-demographic criteria, placental parameters, and genetic expression.

Results: The study included 100 pregnant women, 50 of whom had preterm births and 50 full-term births. In particular, 56% of preterm births occurred in women aged 20-24 (p=0.016), demonstrating significant age variance. Both abortion history (p=0.517) and delivery method (p=0.423) did not significantly differ across groups. Compared to controls (10%), preterm patients had 75% higher placental tissue bacterial growth (p-value 0.001). TGF-BETA expression was similar in full-term and preterm deliveries (p=0.412).

Conclusion: PTB is the greatest cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity and has a complex cause. The study's findings that bacterial illness is strongly linked to preterm birth emphasise the need for better infection control in pregnant women. Despite the strong bacterial association, preterm and full-term births had similar TGF-BETA expression, suggesting that other inherited or environmental factors may contribute to PTB.