Patent ID: 7662570

Claim:
A method of predicting or detecting labor in a female subject, comprising a. determining an amount of a first peptide in a biological sample of said female subject, said first peptide having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID No: 10; b. comparing said amount of said first peptide to a reference standard for said first peptide; c. determining an amount of a second peptide, said second peptide having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID No: 7, wherein said amount is an amount in said biological sample or an additional biological sample of said female subject; and d. comparing said amount of said second peptide to a reference standard for said second peptide, whereby if: (i) both (i a) said amount of said first peptide is higher than an upper limit of a range defined by said reference standard for said first peptide; and (i b) said amount of said second peptide is higher than an upper limit of a range defined by said reference standard for said second peptide, then said female subject is in labor; and if: (ii) both (ii a) said amount of said first peptide is higher than said upper limit of said range defined by said reference standard for said first peptide; and (ii b) said amount of said second peptide is lower than a lower limit of said range defined by said reference standard for said second peptide, then said female subject is not in labor.