Fetal fibronectin testing can be used to predict the short-term risk of preterm birth of the glycoprotein.
Between 22 and 35 weeks of gestation, fetal fibronectin is only seen in cervicovaginal secretions when the chorion is separated from the decidua, and the extracellular matrix at the chorion-decidua interface is mechanically damaged or degraded by proteolytic enzymes. Therefore, elevated levels of fetal fibronectin are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.