EP01.32: Brain signal for spontaneous onset of labour at term: a CSF proteomics study

To determine brain signal for spontaneous onset of labour by the examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomics profile in women presenting with spontaneous onset of labour at term. This is a cross-sectional study including 10 women at term gestation with and without spontaneous onset of labour (n = 5 each). CSF was obtained prior to Caesarean delivery. CSF proteomics was performed by mass spectrometry with SWATH-proteomic technique and was analysed by protein bioinformatic analyses (STRING protein-protein interaction and Reactome pathway analysis). Twelve CSF protein analytes increased in abundance in women with spontaneous onset of labour compared to those without labour onset (fold change>1.5, p < 0.05). The most upregulated protein was centrosome-associated protein ALMS1 followed by amyloid beta precursor like protein-1and prostagladin-H2 (fold changes 2.5, 2.4 and 2.3, respectively). Moreover, the protein-protein interaction revealed that 9 in 12 proteins involving extracellular exosome (see figure 1). Furthermore, the proteins changing with labour were enriched in those associated with biological processes including protein phosphorylation, insulin-growth factor transport, lipid remodelling and platelet degranulation. These may imply that protein signal release in form of extracellular exosome into CSF at the time of labour. 1) The CSF proteome increased at the time of labour; 2) proteins involved in lipoprotein remodelling and platelet degranulation were differentially upregulated expressed; 3) in the future, intersecting the maternal plasma and CSF proteome could identify biomarker for the diagnosis of labour. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.