Adaptive and innate immunity in sPTB

This study is a meta-analysis evaluating differential gene expression signals in spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Three studies related to sPTB with maternal whole blood samples were selected in publicly available datasets, resulting in data from 339 samples. A meta-analysis of the aggregated and normalized transcriptomic datasets led to identification of 210 genes differentially expressed in sPTB relative to term birth. These genes were enriched in immune related pathways, showing upregulation of innate immunity and downregulation of adaptive immunity in women who delivered preterm. Additional analyses identified potential clinically relevant biomarkers.