Inflammatory aetiology of human myometrial activation tested using directed graphs.

ABSTRACT: There are three main hypotheses for the activation of the human uterus at labour: functional progesterone withdrawal, inflammatory stimulation, and oxytocin receptor activation. To test these alternatives we have taken information and data from the literature to develop causal pathway models for the activation of human myometrium. The data provided quantitative RT-PCR results on key genes from samples taken before and during labour. Principal component analysis showed that pre-labour samples form a homogenous group compared to those during labour. We therefore modelled the alternative causal pathways in non-laboring samples using directed graphs and statistically compared the likelihood of the different models using structural equations and D-separation approaches. Using the computer progr

SUBMITTER: Bisits AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1185645 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature