The association of serum iron, zinc, and copper levels with preeclampsia

Abstract EN

Preeclampsia is defined as hypertension associated with proteinuria arise for the first time after the 20th week of gestation in a previously normotensive woman & resolve completely by the 6th postpartum week.

In the present study trace and ultratrace elements iron, zinc, and copper were estimated to know the role of them in pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.

Case control study included 120 women, sixty of them were patients diagnosed with preeclampsia in the third trimester and the other sixty were healthy pregnant women (controls) in the third trimester.

Serum levels of copper was measured by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer technique.

While total serum iron and zinc concentrations were measured by using spectrophotometric method.

The results were expressed as mean ± standard error of mean.

A P value of < 0.01 was considered to be statistically significant.

The levels of serum zinc and copper were significantly lower in patients with pre-eclampsia compared to control groups.

While the concentration of total serum iron was significantly higher in patients with pre-eclampsia compared to control group.

As conclusion, alteration in the serum levels of trace and ultratrace elements could contribute to the pathogenesis of PE.