Work

An overview of racial disparities in preterm birth rates: caused by infection or inflammatory response?

Year: 2011

Type: review

Abstract: Infection has been hypothesized to be one of the factors associated with spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) and with the racial disparity in rates of PTB between African American and Caucasian women. However, recent findings refute the generalizability of the role of infection and inflammation. African Americans have an increased incidence of PTB in the setting of intraamniotic infection, periodontal disease, and bacterial vaginosis compared to Caucasians. Herein we report variability in infection- and inflammation-related factors based on race/ethnicity. For African American women, an imbalance in the host proinflammatory response seems to contribute to infection-associated PTB, as evidenced by a greater presence of inflammatory mediators with limited or reduced presence of immune balancing factors. This may be attributed to differences in the genetic variants associated with PTB between African Americans and Caucasians. We argue that infection may not be a cause of racial disparity but in association with other risk factors such as stress, nutritional deficiency, and differences in genetic variations in PTB, pathways and their complex interactions may produce differential inflammatory responses that may contribute to racial disparity.

Source: Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica

DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0412.2011.01135.x

Authors: RAMKUMAR MENON, ANNE L. DUNLOP, MICHAEL R. KRAMER, STEPHEN J. FORTUNATO, CAROL J. HOGUE

Institutions: Emory University, Centennial Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development