Is there a role for C-reactive protein during and after labour?

Summary: The study aimed to define the pregnancy-specific reference interval for procalcitonin and found that the upper limit was 0.05 ng/mL, which did not significantly vary across different groups of pregnant women based on factors like gestational age, body mass index, maternal age, mean arterial blood pressure, or fetal sex. This suggests that levels of procalcitonin remain similar in pregnant and non-pregnant populations, supporting the use of procalcitonin in pregnant women for sepsis diagnosis and antibiotic therapy.

Summary: This study established trimester-specific reference intervals for CRP in pregnancy, with an upper limit of 19 mg/L, and found that CRP levels increase linearly with body mass index. The sensitivity and specificity of CRP for diagnosing chorioamnionitis were 73% and 86%, and using pregnancy-specific reference intervals significantly improved diagnostic accuracy compared to the existing standard.