Serum vitamin D3 levels in pregnant women with preeclampsia at third trimester of pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific condition, characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. One of the hypotheses concerning the etiology of PE is vitamin D3 deficiency during pregnancy. Vitamin D3 is especially important during pregnancy as low maternal vitamin D3 stores may contribute to problems like low birth weight as well as an increased risk of maternal comorbidities. Objectives: To evaluate serum vitamin D3 levels and how they can be affected by the severity of PE at the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: This case-control study included a total of 71 pregnant women at the third trimester of pregnancy (41 with PE and 30 without PE as controls). Vitamin D3 serum level was measured by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The study’s findings showed no significant difference in serum vitamin D3 level (p>0.05) between controls (14.41±1.41ng/ml) and PE patients (14.32±1.00). As well, subgroup analysis revealed non-considerable changes between mild PE cases (15.92±1.73 ng/ml) and severe ones (13.07±1.09 ng/ml). Conclusions: PE and its severity may have no significant effect on serum vitamin D3 levels of pregnant women at the third trimester of pregnancy.