Biomaterial Database

Cervical remodeling during pregnancy and parturition. 2010

Brenda Timmons, and Meredith Akins, and Mala Mahendroo

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235-9032, USA.

Appropriate and timely cervical remodeling is key for successful birth. Premature cervical opening can result in preterm birth which occurs in 12.5% of pregnancies. Research focused on the mechanisms of term and preterm cervical remodeling is essential to prevent prematurity. This review highlights recent findings that better define molecular processes driving progressive disorganization of the cervical extracellular matrix. This includes studies that redefine the role of immune cells and identify diverse functions of the cervical epithelia and hyaluronan in remodeling. New investigations proposing that infection-induced premature cervical remodeling is distinct from the normal process are presented. Recent advances in our understanding of term and preterm cervical remodeling provide new directions for investigation and compel investigators to reevaluate currently accepted models.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007747	Labor Stage, First	Period from the onset of true OBSTETRIC LABOR to the complete dilatation of the CERVIX UTERI.	Labor, First Stage,Cervical Dilatation,Cervical Dilatations,Dilatation, Cervical,Dilatations, Cervical,First Labor Stage,First Stage Labor
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D002584	Cervix Uteri	The neck portion of the UTERUS between the lower isthmus and the VAGINA forming the cervical canal.	Cervical Canal of the Uterus,Cervical Canal, Uterine,Ectocervix,Endocervical Canal,Endocervix,External Os Cervix,External Os of the Cervix,Uterine Cervical Canal,Cervix,Cervixes,Uterine Cervix,Canal, Endocervical,Canal, Uterine Cervical,Cervix, External Os,Cervix, Uterine,Endocervical Canals,Uterine Cervical Canals
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D020070	Cervical Ripening	A change in the CERVIX UTERI with respect to its readiness to relax. The cervix normally becomes softer, more flexible, more distensible, and shorter in the final weeks of PREGNANCY. These cervical changes can also be chemically induced (LABOR, INDUCED).	Cervical Ripenings,Ripening, Cervical,Ripenings, Cervical
D036801	Parturition	The process of giving birth to one or more offspring.	Birth,Childbirth,Births,Childbirths,Parturitions