Spontaneous preterm birth: a systems biology approach in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

sPTB is an unresolved common complex condition in perinatal medicine and is related to long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy, cognitive and respiratory problems, which will affect the infant in every day life situations. The pathophysiology of sPT B remains poorly understood. Infection and inflammation, fetal growth disturbances, uterine over-distension and decidual hemorrhage are believed to be part of the mechanisms. The proposed project will approach this perinatal problem from three different and most certainly important angles; i.e. genes, proteins and metabolites. We will utilize the experience from our ongoing candidate gene study of the same complex trait. No other group has previously studied the mechanisms of sPTB in such an extensive m anner as proposed here, and especially not utilized the opportunities related to new technologies such GWA, proteomics and metabolomics. We will conduct the studies by using triad-design with contol trios in the genomic part and traditional case-control d esign (case mothers versus control mothers) in the proteomic and metabolomic part. This research project will be conducted as part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort (MoBa) study. MoBa is a national pregnancy cohort and one of the core components o f Bio Health Norway. Biological material, in the form of maternal serum, has been sampled at 18th gestational week and at delivery. Paternal serum has also been sampled. Umbilical cord blood (fetal blood) has been sampled at delivery. The inclusion of pre gnancies (100 000) will be completed during spring 2008. DNA and plasma as well as a huge amount of prospectively collected data from questionnaires have been stored. These data can be linked to the Norwegian Medical Birth Register. This project intend to identify biomarkers of sPTB that can help identify high risk patients early in pregnancy, which if possible will open a new era in managment of these patients.