TY - JOUR
T1 - History of the establishment of the Preterm Birth international collaborative (PREBIC)
AU - Hobel, Calvin J.
AU - Dolan, Siobhan M.
AU - Hindoyan, Niree A.
AU - Zhong, Nanbert
AU - Menon, Ramkumar
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors of this paper want to thank the members of PREBIC who initiated the formation of PREBIC during the Second meeting in Denmark in 2004. Since that time PREBIC, with the support from the March of Dimes, United States and the World Health Organization, Geneva Switzerland has progressed with a careful analysis of it progress and changes to accommodate worldwide investigators and the formation of Working Groups with a focus on Young Investigator Groups (YIG) to investigate the cause/origin of PTB.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019
PY - 2019/4
Y1 - 2019/4
N2 - Introduction: The primary aim of PREBIC is to assess the underlying mechanisms and developing strategies for preterm birth (PTB) prevention. Materials and methods: We used concept mapping and logic models to track goals. This paper reviews our progress over 13 years using working group activities, research developments, guest speakers, and publications. Results: Using interactions between genetics, environment, and behaviors we identified complex interactions between biological systems. PREBIC determined that epidemiology and biomarkers should be an initial focus. In 2005, we initiated presentations by young investigators, yearly satellite meetings, working groups including nutrition and inflammation, assessment of clinical trials, and accepted an invitation by the WHO to begin yearly meetings in Geneva. Discussion: PREBIC used epidemiology to identify PTB factors and complex pathways. Candidate genes are associated with the environment, behavior (stress), obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. Epigenetic changes and production of proteins can be used as biomarkers to define risk. Subsequently, we found risk factors for PTB that were also associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) of the mother. Tanz et al. (2017) found that a history of PTB is independently predictive of CVD later in life and suggested that a modest proportion of PTB-CVD association was accounted by CVD risk factors, many of which have been identified in this paper. Conclusion: Our findings support a relationship between genes, environment, behaviors and risk of CVD in women. The next several years must assess which factors are modifiable early in life and before pregnancy to prevent PTB.
AB - Introduction: The primary aim of PREBIC is to assess the underlying mechanisms and developing strategies for preterm birth (PTB) prevention. Materials and methods: We used concept mapping and logic models to track goals. This paper reviews our progress over 13 years using working group activities, research developments, guest speakers, and publications. Results: Using interactions between genetics, environment, and behaviors we identified complex interactions between biological systems. PREBIC determined that epidemiology and biomarkers should be an initial focus. In 2005, we initiated presentations by young investigators, yearly satellite meetings, working groups including nutrition and inflammation, assessment of clinical trials, and accepted an invitation by the WHO to begin yearly meetings in Geneva. Discussion: PREBIC used epidemiology to identify PTB factors and complex pathways. Candidate genes are associated with the environment, behavior (stress), obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. Epigenetic changes and production of proteins can be used as biomarkers to define risk. Subsequently, we found risk factors for PTB that were also associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) of the mother. Tanz et al. (2017) found that a history of PTB is independently predictive of CVD later in life and suggested that a modest proportion of PTB-CVD association was accounted by CVD risk factors, many of which have been identified in this paper. Conclusion: Our findings support a relationship between genes, environment, behaviors and risk of CVD in women. The next several years must assess which factors are modifiable early in life and before pregnancy to prevent PTB.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.03.008
DO - 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.03.008
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31047707
AN - SCOPUS:85064889132
SN - 0143-4004
VL - 79
SP - 3
EP - 20
JO - Placenta
JF - Placenta
ER -