Partosure as a screening marker for spontaneous preterm birth
Research type
Research Study
Full title
PROSPECT (PaRtOsure as a Screening marker for spontaneous PrEterm birth: a prospective CohorT study)
IRAS ID
208061
Contact name
Asma Khalil
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Preterm birth remains the single biggest cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The availability of an effective intervention provides a rationale for population-based screening for preterm birth. The current opinion is that there is no available good test for predicting spontaneous preterm birth. More effective screening can be achieved by combining the maternal a priori risk and biophysical or biochemical markers. Placental alpha microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1), also known at Partosure, is emerging as a promising screening marker for spontaneous preterm birth. This prospective cohort study aims to derive and validate a screening model for spontaneous preterm birth using PAMG-1, either alone or in combination with maternal history and/or cervical length and biochemical markers, in asymptomatic women. Eligible participants are women presenting for routine anomaly scan at 18-24 weeks’ gestation. Clinical assessments, partosure test, cervical length and documentation of maternal/neonatal outcomes are performed. Target recruitment is 1,080 participants. The results of PROSPECT will provide an evidence on the accuracy of the PAMG-1 for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic women. The identification of women at increased risk of preterm birth would allow targeted prevention, which has the potential of saving many lives, ameliorating the risk of long-term disability and using limited healthcare resources more efficiently.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EE/0343
Date of REC Opinion
15 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion