Evaluation of Vaginal PAMG-1 Detection by PartoSure Test in Preterm Delivery Threat in Actual Clinical Situation: Randomized Controlled Trial

Prematurity is defined as birth before 37 weeks of amenorrhea. It is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that premature births to 15 million worldwide in 2010, including 60,000 children in France (7,4% of births) and 12000, born before 32 weeks of amenorrhea (term defining great prematurity). More than half of these births follow spontaneous work.

Before 34 weeks of amenorrhea, prematurity requires specific maternal-fetal management centered primarily on antenatal corticosteroid treatment for fetal maturation including 2 intramuscular injections at 24 hour intervals. This cure can only be done once and its benefit is proven in the 7 (to 14) days before the birth (recommendation for the clinical practice of the French National College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of December 2016). The single course of antenatal corticosteroids before 34 weeks of amenorrhea is associated in the neonatal period with reduction in morbidity and mortality, and in the long term with an improvement of the survival without sequelae, if the full cure is administered in the 7, to 14, days before birth. The second key element of the management of a premature delivery threats is the admission in a pediatric structure adapted to the degree of prematurity.

The care of a premature delivery threats before 34 weeks of amenorrhea care leads to hospitalization with possible transfer to a maternity of pediatric adapted level, tocolysis, a biological and bacteriological assessment, and, sometimes, other examinations and treatments.

The prediction of premature labor is a challenge. Current methods, such as vaginal examination, cervicometry and detection of fetal fibronectin, make it possible to obtain a negative predictive value (NPV) approaching 100% but a poor positive predictive value (PPV), thus 8 out of 10 patients hospitalized and treated for premature delivery threat no not give birth within 7 days, or even before 34 weeks of amenorrhea. A better prediction of preterm delivery has two benefits: administer antenatal corticosteroid therapy in high-risk patients at the right time and not treat not-at risk patients.

The PartoSure® test, which detects the placental protein vaginal alphamicroglobulin-1 (PAMG-1), has satisfactory metrological qualities according to observational studies : NPV 98% and PPV 75% of delivery within 7 days.

However this test has never been evaluated in real clinical condition. In our study, the result of the test becomes decisional for the care.

The hypothesis is that use of this test will improve the prediction of preterm delivery during a first consultation for preterm delivery threat and thus allow more frequent prenatal corticosteroid treatment in optimal period, avoiding treating non-at risk patients.