During normal pregnancy, maternal hormones and locally acting cytokines play a key role in regulating the onset of labor, cervical ripening, uterine contraction, and delivery. @entity281 during pregnancy have been demonstrated to perturb this normal cytokine and hormone-regulated gestation, sometimes resulting in @entity3152 , preterm @entity397 of membranes, and preterm low birth weight (PLBW), i.e., < 2,500 g and < 37 weeks of gestation. Our research focus has been to determine whether periodontal @entity281 can provide sufficient challenge to the mother to trigger PLBW. New experiments from 48 case-control subjects have measured gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of @entity1421 and IL-1-beta to determine whether mediator levels were related to current pregnancy outcome. In addition, the levels of 4 periodontal pathogens were measured by using microbe-specific DNA probes. Results indicate that GCF- @entity1421 levels are significantly higher in PLBW mothers, as compared with @entity600 ( @entity600 ) controls (131.4 +/- 21.8 vs. 62.6 +/- 10.3 [mean +/- SE ng/mL], respectively, at P = 0.02). Furthermore, within primiparous PLBW mothers, there was a significant inverse association between birth weight (as well as gestational age) and GCF- @entity1421 levels at P = 0.023. These data suggest a dose-response relationship for increasing GCF- @entity1421 as a marker of current @entity2520 activity and decreasing birth weight. Microbial data indicate that 4 organisms associated with mature plaque and progressing @entity2521 -- @entity3289 , @entity2523 , @entity3841 , and @entity14148 --were detected at higher levels in PLBW mothers, as compared to @entity600 controls. These data suggest that biochemical measures of maternal periodontal status and oral microbial burden are associated with current PLBW.

Potential pathogenic mechanisms of XXXX associated pregnancy complications.

@entity3152 :: ('MESH:D007752', 'Disease') :: ['preterm labor'] @entity2520 :: ('MESH:D010510', 'Disease') :: ['periodontal disease'] @entity14148 :: ('158', 'Species') :: ['Treponema denticola'] @entity1421 :: ('MESH:D015232', 'Chemical') :: ['PGE(2)'] @entity600 :: ('MESH:D000014', 'Disease') :: ['normal birth weight', 'NBW'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['Maternal infections', 'infections'] @entity3289 :: ('28112', 'Species') :: ['bacteroides forsythus'] @entity397 :: ('MESH:D012421', 'Disease') :: ['premature rupture'] @entity2521 :: ('MESH:D010518', 'Disease') :: ['periodontitis'] @entity3841 :: ('714', 'Species') :: ['Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans'] @entity2523 :: ('837', 'Species') :: ['Porphyromonas gingivalis']
@entity2521 :: (MESH:D010518,Disease) :: ['periodontitis']
