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Shotgun Proteomic Analysis of Vaginal Fluid From Women in Late Pregnancy

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Abstract

Liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry without prior fractionation (shotgun proteomics) were used to analyze vaginal fluid from patients admitted for signs and symptoms of preterm labor. The patients had an average age of 26.3 ± 5.9 years, a gestational age of 30.5 ± 2.5 weeks, and a median cervical dilation of 1 cm (range, 0–6 cm). None of the patients exhibited signs of vaginal infection at the time of enrollment. Shotgun proteomics yielded reproducible identifications (R = 0.973) of more than 40 proteins in vaginal fluid samples, such as plasma proteins, epithelial structural proteins, and several immunoregulatory proteins, including some that were previously linked to intra-amniotic infection. This initial characterization of the vaginal fluid proteome using a nonbiased, high-throughput technique yields reproducible results in late pregnancy. The presence of host defense proteins in vaginal fluid suggests that this technique may be useful for future study of inflammation-related preterm birth.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. LLK and KRJ contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    Laura L. Klein MD, Ronald S. Gibbs MD & James L. McManaman PhD

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Nutrition Research Unit, University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    Karen R. Jonscher PhD

  3. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    James L. McManaman PhD

  4. Graduate Program in Reproductive Sciences, Division of Reproductive Sciences, University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Center, Mail Stop 8309, Aurora, Colorado, 80045, USA

    Margaret J. Heerwagen BS & James L. McManaman PhD

  5. Memorial Hospital Pikes Peak Maternal Fetal Medicine Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

    Laura L. Klein MD

Authors
  1. Laura L. Klein MD
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  2. Karen R. Jonscher PhD
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  3. Margaret J. Heerwagen BS
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  4. Ronald S. Gibbs MD
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  5. James L. McManaman PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to James L. McManaman PhD.

Additional information

Supported by grants from the March of Dimes (JLM, RSG); University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Enrichment Fund (LLK and JLM); and National Institutes of Health (NIH) P30 DK048520 (Mass Spectrometry Core). The authors thank Eric J. Kushner for technical assistance with 2D gels and Dr M. C. Neville for helpful comments.The CNRU Mass Spectrometry Core is supported by NIH/NIDDK P30 DK048520.

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Klein, L.L., Jonscher, K.R., Heerwagen, M.J. et al. Shotgun Proteomic Analysis of Vaginal Fluid From Women in Late Pregnancy. Reprod. Sci. 15, 263–273 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719107311189

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