Patent ID: 7191068

Claim:
A method for determining the state of a maternal condition selected from the group consisting of intra-uterine infection, intra-amniotic infection, and preterm labor, comprising: (a) comparing a proteomic profile of a test sample of a biological fluid selected from the group consisting of amniotic fluid, serum and plasma obtained from a mammalian subject with: (i) a proteomic profile of a normal sample, or (ii) a reference proteomic profile comprising at least one unique expression signature characteristic of said condition, wherein the test sample proteomic profile and the normal sample proteomic profile or the reference proteomic profile comprise information of the expression azurocidin, leukocyte elastase inhibitor, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and calgranulin B; or fragments or naturally occurring variants thereof that are functional in determining the state of the maternal condition, and wherein: (b) if the test proteomic profile is essentially the same as the normal sample proteomic profile the subject is determined to not possess the maternal condition, while if the test proteomic profile shows a unique expression signature relative to the normal sample proteomic profile the subject is determined to possess the maternal condition, or (c) if the test sample proteomic profile shares at least one unique expression signature characteristic with the reference sample the subject is determined to possess the maternal condition, while if the test sample proteomic profile does not share the at least one unique expression signature characteristic with the reference sample the subject is determined to not possess the maternal condition.