John Schwabe, Siobhan M Donnelly, Subrina Jesmin, Phyllis Leppert and Chishimba Nathan Mowa
Objective: Decipher mechanisms that underlie cervical remodeling (CR) during pregnancy.
Design and population: Examine the proteomic profile of mice cervices in early and late pregnancy and verify data generated using Western Blot and real time PCR analysis. Main outcome measures: Identify signature proteins.
Results: In total, seventy three (73) signature proteins were identified and were found up regulated in pregnancy, namely proteins associated with: a) collagen presence and organization (4), notably biglycan and lumican, b) immune scavenging functions and c) cytoskeletal activity. These proteomic trends were verified through Western blot and real time PCR analysis.
Conclusion: These signature proteins and their expression profile collectively suggest a complex biological process involving extracellular matrix (ECM)- and immune`-associated factors. Based on these data, we propose that biglycan may provide the link between natural birth and inflammation-mediated pre-term birth.