Relationship of Maternal Serum Zinc Level with Preeclampsia

Abstract

Preeclampsia is an important cause of maternal and perinatal morbidities. Zinc is an essential trace element that is presumed to have a role in the regulation of blood pressure through its antioxidant properties and modulation of renal sodium transport. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between maternal serum zinc level and preeclampsia. This case-control study was conducted among 100 pregnant women at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.  Among the 100 patients, 50 were pregnant women with preeclampsia (cases) and 50 were pregnant women without preeclampsia (controls). The serum zinc level was measured for all of them. The mean serum zinc level of the cases and controls were 59.58±31.79 μg/dl and 89.02±31.14 μg/dl respectively (P=<0.001). The respondents with zinc level <68 μg/dl had 6.05 times more chances to have preeclampsia compared to that of the respondents with zinc level ≥68 μg/dL (p<0.001; OR=6.048; 95% CI=2.540-14.399). There was significant negative correlation of serum zinc level with both systolic blood pressure (r= -0.340, p=0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (r=-0.404, p<0.001). In conclusion, low maternal serum zinc level was found related to preeclampsia.