- Fetal fibronectin
Fetal fibronectin (fFN) is a
protein produced by fetal cells and a type offibronectin . fFN is found at the interface of thechorion and thedecidua (between the fetal sack and theuterine lining ).It can be thought of as an adhesive or "biological glue" that binds the fetal sack to the uterine lining.
Diagnosic test
Fetal fibronectin "leaks" into the
vagina if a preterm delivery is likely to occur and can be measured in adiagnostic test . [cite journal |author=Lockwood CJ, Senyei AE, Dische MR, "et al" |title=Fetal fibronectin in cervical and vaginal secretions as a predictor of preterm delivery |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=325 |issue=10 |pages=669–74 |year=1991 |pmid=1870640 |doi=]It is an excellent biological marker of premature (preterm) delivery; a delivery before 37 weeks of
gestation .When the fFN test is considered positive, delivery is likely to occur soon. When the fFN test is negative, it means that there is little if any danger of
preterm labour for 7-10 days. The test is easily performed. A specimen is collected from the patient using avaginal swab . The swab is placed in a transport tube and sent to the lab for testing. The lab can easily produce a test result in less than one hour.A
systematic review of themedical literature found that fetal fibronectin is a good predictor of spontaneous preterm birth beforecervical dilation . [Honest H, Bachmann LM, Gupta JK, Kleijnen J, Khan KS. Accuracy of cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin test in predicting risk of spontaneous preterm birth: systematic review. BMJ. 2002 Aug 10;325(7359):301. PMID 12169504. [http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/325/7359/301.pdf Free Full Text] .] The test may be run on patients between 22 and 35 weeks gestation.A negative fetal fibronectin test gives a more than 95% likelihood of remaining undelivered for the next 2 weeks. On the other hand, a positive fetal fibronectin test indicates a higher risk of preterm delivery (61% of delivery before 34 weeks) [Farquharson D, Skoll A. Fetal fibronectin. BCRCP Perspectives, Winter 2004. Available at: [http://www.rcp.gov.bc.ca/whatsnew_pdfs/fibronectin.pdf http://www.rcp.gov.bc.ca/whatsnew_pdfs/fibronectin.pdf] . Accessed on: December 25, 2007.] . So, the fetal fibronectin test can't tell you for sure that you are in labor, but it can tell you that you're not.
A false positive fetal fibronectin result can occur if the test is performed after digital examination of the cervix. Thus it is important that the swab be taken before a digital cervical exam is performed.
ee also
*
Fibronectin
*Fibronectin type II domain External links
* [http://www.babycenter.com/0_preterm-labor-test-fetal-fibronectin_1511.bc Fetal fibronectin] - babycenter.com.
* [http://www.fibronectintest.co.uk/ Fibronectin Test] - FibronectinTest.co.uk
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