Myometrial contractility influences oxytocin receptor (OXTR) expression in term trophoblast cells obtained from the maternal surface of the human placenta

Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the two groups studied (median and range). The groups may be treated as homogenous, except for the mode of delivery

Parameter	Group I (vaginal delivery)	Group II (cesarean section)
Number of patients/newborns/placentas/specimens obtained (N)	14/14/14/42	14/14/14/42
Parity	0	0
Gestational age in days (median; range)	283; 269–290	276; 265–282
Preterm uterine contractions	Not reported	Not reported
Contractile activity of the uterus at time of delivery	Present and effective	Not present
Oxytocin treatment in the first and second stage of labour	Not used	Not used
Blood pressure during pregnancy	All records within normal range^a	All records within normal range^a
Proteinuria during pregnancy	Not present	Not present
Liver blood tests (aminotransferases enzymes, AST and ALT levels)	Within normal range^b	Within normal range^b
Diabetes during pregnancy	Not present	Not present
Body mass index <21 or >35	None	None
Mother’s blood (III trimester): hematocrit (Ht), hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC) count, mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)	All within normal ranges^c	All within normal ranges^c
Other identified risk factors	None	None
Birth weight in grams (median; range)	3380; 2990–3730	3190; 2850–3860
5-minute Apgar score below 8 points^d	None	None
Sex of newborns (M, male; F, female)	7 M + 7 F	8 M + 6 F
Weight of placenta in grams (median; range)	660; 559–790	650; 550–810

^aThe normal range of blood pressure was defined as systolic pressure between 100 and 140 mmHg, and diastolic pressure between 60 and 90 mmHg
^bThe normal range of values for AST is 5–40 units per liter of serum and the normal range of values for ALT is 7–56 units per liter of serum
^cHb levels 10.0–13.5 g/dl, RBC count 3.2–4.4 million/μl, MCHC 319–355 g/L, Ht 31–41 %
^dApgar score is determined by evaluation newborn on five criteria that form a backronym (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) on scale from “0“ to “2“. The scores are added up and the total sum is an Apgar score. Scores 7 and above are generally nomal, 4–6 fairly low, and 3 and below generally regarded as critically low

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