Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

• Gulmira Zhurabekova ^{1, 2}
• Aru Balmagambetova ¹
• Zhibek Oralkhan ³
• Maygul Sarsenova ¹
• Guliya Toichiyeva ⁴
• Nazym Altynbay ²
• Azhar Malik ³
• Kuanysh Tastambek ^{2, 5, 6}
• Akzhenis Berdalinova ^{3, 7}

¹ Department of Normal and Topographic Anatomy with Operative Surgery, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe 030019, Kazakhstan

² SRI “Sustainability of Ecology and Bioresources”, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan

³ Department of Fundamental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Care, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Tole bi 96, 050012 Almaty, Kazakhstan

⁴ International Clinic of Reproductive Health “PERSONA” LLP, Almaty 050063, Kazakhstan

⁵ Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Turkistan, 161200, Kazakhstan

⁶ Department of Biotechnology, Auezov South Kazakhstan University, Shymkent, 160012, Kazakhstan

⁷ Department of Histology, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe 030019, Kazakhstan

Abstract

Background: Premature birth (delivery before 37 weeks of gestation) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Specific genetic polymorphisms were associated with immune and inflammatory pathways that might contribute to its pathogenesis. This study investigated the associations between preterm birth and sociodemographic indicators, clinical outcomes, genetic polymorphisms, and microbial factors in Kazakh women.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted from September 2022 to September 2023. It enrolled women with preterm and full-term births in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan. Data included sociodemographic, clinical variables, genotyping (TLR2 rs4986790 and MBL2 rs11003125), and microbial data. The quantification of Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) in saliva samples was performed using TaqMan real-time PCR. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software (version 26), employing independent sample t tests, Chi square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and logistic regression. The level of significance was set at P<0.05.
Results: Sociodemographic analysis showed no significant differences between the studied groups, except for a higher prevalence of previous preterm birth in the case group. Clinical comparisons revealed significantly lower gestational age at delivery, reduced newborn weight and height, decreased placental weight and dimensions, lower hemoglobin levels, and erythrocyte counts in preterm cases. Genetic analysis demonstrated that all women with preterm labor carried the homozygous AA genotype of TLR299 rs4986790, while the GG genotype and the G allele of the MBL2 rs11003125 gene were predominant in this group. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis identified significantly higher F. nucleatum levels associated with premature birth, highlighting a potential microbial role in its pathogenesis. 
Conclusion: These findings suggested that a history of preterm birth, specific genetic polymorphisms, and microbial factors collectively were associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.

Highlights

Gulmira Zhurabekova (Google Scholar)

Keywords

• Premature birth
• Sociodemographic factors
• Clinical study
• Polymorphism, Genetic
• Fusobacterium nucleatum