Vaginal matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) as a potential early predictor of preterm birth.

Objectives: To evaluate the differences in vaginal matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in pregnant patients with a history of prior preterm birth compared with controls.

Methods: A prospective cohort pilot study recruited patients during prenatal care with history of prior spontaneous preterm birth (high-risk group) or no history of preterm birth (low-risk/controls). Inclusion criteria were singleton gestation at 11-16 weeks and between 18 and 55 years of age.

Vestibulodynia and the Vaginal Microbiome: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Recent studies of the vaginal microbiome have led to a better understanding of the microbiota and interactions with the host environment, however the role of the vaginal microbiome in vestibulodynia remains unclear.

Aim: This study aims to investigate and examine differences in the bacterial and fungal microbiome among patients with vestibulodynia and healthy controls.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted examining the vaginal microbiome of 29 patients with vestibulodynia and 26 controls through Stony Brook University Obstetrics and Gynecology ambulatory clinic.

Progesterone effects on vaginal cytokines in women with a history of preterm birth.

Objective: To determine the effect of intramuscular progesterone on the vaginal immune response of pregnant women with a history of prior preterm birth.

Methods: A prospective, cohort study of women at 11-16 weeks gestation, ≥18 years of age, and carrying a singleton pregnancy was conducted from June 2016 to August 2017 after IRB approval. Women in the progesterone arm had a history of preterm birth and received weekly intramuscular 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate.