Biomaterial Database

Maternal and cord serum vitamin E levels in normal and abnormal pregnancy. 1994

U von Mandach, and R Huch, and A Huch

Department of Obstetrics, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there is an association between reduced vitamin E levels and an abnormal pregnancy. Levels were measured by HPLC in maternal and, where possible, in paired umbilical cord serum from normal and abnormal pregnancies at delivery and in serial serum samples from healthy women during gestation. Abnormal pregnancies were compared with normals. In normal pregnancies, mean vitamin E levels rose from 12.9 +/- 1.1 micrograms/ml in early pregnancy to 22.5 +/- 1.5 micrograms/ml at term (p < 0.05, n = 11). In pregnancies with fetal complications or maternal risks, levels were lower than in normals at corresponding gestational age (p < 0.005 in smokers, n = 20 at > or = 30 weeks & p < 0.01 in hypertensives, n = 4 at 16-23 weeks). Mean maternal and paired cord serum levels in normal pregnancies at delivery > or = 37 weeks were 21.3 +/- 0.6 and 3.8 +/- 0.1 micrograms/ml respectively (p < 0.001, n = 56). Maternal levels in women with a low birthweight infant and in smokers (> 10 cig/day) were significantly lower (p < 0.05, n = 13 & p < 0.0005, n = 12); levels in women with a malformed infant (n = 6) were also reduced, but just barely below the level of significance (p = 0.06). Cord serum levels in complicated pregnancies, however, were unchanged. The results show lower maternal levels of vitamin E in abnormal pregnancies, suggesting a changed vitamin E metabolism.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248	Pregnancy Complications	Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases.	Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
D005260	Female		Females
D005312	Fetal Blood	Blood of the fetus. Exchange of nutrients and waste between the fetal and maternal blood occurs via the PLACENTA. The cord blood is blood contained in the umbilical vessels (UMBILICAL CORD) at the time of delivery.	Cord Blood,Umbilical Cord Blood,Blood, Cord,Blood, Fetal,Blood, Umbilical Cord,Bloods, Cord,Bloods, Fetal,Bloods, Umbilical Cord,Cord Blood, Umbilical,Cord Bloods,Cord Bloods, Umbilical,Fetal Bloods,Umbilical Cord Bloods
D005865	Gestational Age	The age of the conceptus, beginning from the time of FERTILIZATION. In clinical obstetrics, the gestational age is often estimated from the onset of the last MENSTRUATION which is about 2 weeks before OVULATION and fertilization. It is also estimated to begin from fertilization, estrus, coitus, or artificial insemination.	Embryologic Age,Fetal Maturity, Chronologic,Chronologic Fetal Maturity,Fetal Age,Maturity, Chronologic Fetal,Age, Embryologic,Age, Fetal,Age, Gestational,Ages, Embryologic,Ages, Fetal,Ages, Gestational,Embryologic Ages,Fetal Ages,Gestational Ages
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014810	Vitamin E	A generic descriptor for all TOCOPHEROLS and TOCOTRIENOLS that exhibit ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL activity. By virtue of the phenolic hydrogen on the 2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol nucleus, these compounds exhibit varying degree of antioxidant activity, depending on the site and number of methyl groups and the type of ISOPRENOIDS.
D015415	Biomarkers	Measurable and quantifiable biological parameters (e.g., specific enzyme concentration, specific hormone concentration, specific gene phenotype distribution in a population, presence of biological substances) which serve as indices for health- and physiology-related assessments, such as disease risk, psychiatric disorders, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE and its effects, disease diagnosis; METABOLIC PROCESSES; SUBSTANCE ABUSE; PREGNANCY; cell line development; EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES; etc.	Biochemical Markers,Biological Markers,Biomarker,Clinical Markers,Immunologic Markers,Laboratory Markers,Markers, Biochemical,Markers, Biological,Markers, Clinical,Markers, Immunologic,Markers, Laboratory,Markers, Serum,Markers, Surrogate,Markers, Viral,Serum Markers,Surrogate Markers,Viral Markers,Biochemical Marker,Biologic Marker,Biologic Markers,Clinical Marker,Immune Marker,Immune Markers,Immunologic Marker,Laboratory Marker,Marker, Biochemical,Marker, Biological,Marker, Clinical,Marker, Immunologic,Marker, Laboratory,Marker, Serum,Marker, Surrogate,Serum Marker,Surrogate End Point,Surrogate End Points,Surrogate Endpoint,Surrogate Endpoints,Surrogate Marker,Viral Marker,Biological Marker,End Point, Surrogate,End Points, Surrogate,Endpoint, Surrogate,Endpoints, Surrogate,Marker, Biologic,Marker, Immune,Marker, Viral,Markers, Biologic,Markers, Immune