Evaluation of the role of progesteron in pregnancy

Objective: Progesterone plays a critical role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. The untimely activation of hormonal mechanisms that regulate uterine contractions necessary for term delivery may lead to preterm labor. Therefore, progesterone hormone therapy is recommended in cases of threatened preterm labor. However, there is still insufficient knowledge regarding these hormonal mechanisms. This study aims to compare the serum progesterone levels of term and preterm pregnant women who have gone into labor with those who have not yet gone into labor, in both term and preterm pregnancies. Material and Method: This is a prospective controlled study. The demographic characteristics, obstetric-neonatal outcomes, and serum progesterone levels of 69 term (group 1) and 65 preterm (group 4) pregnant women who had gone into labor were compared with those of 69 term (group 3) and 65 preterm (group 2) pregnant women who had not gone into labor. Comparisons were also made within and between the four groups. Serum progesterone levels were also evaluated based on age (in decades) and body mass index (BMI). Result: There was no statistically significant difference in obstetric and neonatal outcomes between the groups or in pairwise comparisons. The lowest serum progesterone level was observed in group 2 (b), followed by group 3 (c), and then group 1 (a) (p < 0.001; a > b; a > c; a < d; b < d; c < d). The highest serum progesterone level was found in group 4 (d). Serum progesterone levels showed no correlation with age, but were significantly correlated with BMI (p < 0.001). v Conclusion: A decrease in serum progesterone levels may trigger the hormonal mechanisms that initiate labor. Weight gain may lead to a decrease in progesterone levels and may contribute to the earlier onset of labor.