A comparative study of folate and vitamin B12 serum levels in preeclamptic versus normotensive pregnant women in correlation with uterine and umbilical artery Doppler findings and pregnancy outcome

J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2009 Sep 1;10(3):152-7. eCollection 2009.

Abstract

Objective: To detect the serum levels of folate and B12 in both preclamptic and normotensive pregnant women and to determine whether there is any relation between these levels with the uterine and umbilical artery Doppler indices as well as the pregnancy outcome.

Material and methods: This case controlled study comprised 79 pregnant patients with preeclampsia and 113 healthy, normotensive pregnant women with singleton pregnancies at gestational ages ranging from 34-40 weeks. Patients were not obese (BMI<30) and did not suffer from chronic hypertension, chronic renal or liver disease nor diabetes mellitus. Serum folate and B12 were detected in all cases. They were also subjected to a Doppler study of both the uterine and umbilical arteries. Serum folate and B12 blood levels as well as the Doppler study indices (RI and PI) were compared in both groups.

Results: The serum folate level was significantly lower in preeclamptic patients than normal pregnant women (p<0.001). It was significantly correlated to uterine artery Doppler indices (RI and PI) and negatively correlated to umbilical artery Doppler indices (RI and PI). Low serum folate was significantly correlated to poor maternal outcome. Low serum folate was also significantly correlated to poor perinatal outcome. Serum B12 level was not significantly different in preeclamptic patients from the control group (P value=0.14).

Conclusion: Serum folate was significantly lower in preeclamptic pregnant women with a significant correlation to increased uterine and umbilical RI, PI and poor maternal and neonatal outcome.

Amaç: Normotansif ve preeklamptik gebelerde serum folat ve vitamin B12 düzeylerini uterin ve umbilikal arter doppler sonuçları ve gebelik sonuçlarıyla karşılaştırmak.

Gereç ve yöntemler: Bu vaka kontrol çalışması 34–40 haftalara arasındaki 79 preeklamptik ve 113 normotansif gebe ile yapıldı. Hastalar obez değillerdi (BMI<30) ve kronik hipertansiyon, böbrek veya karaciğer rahatsızlığı olanlar ile, diabetli hastalar çalışmaya alınmadı. Serum folat ve vitamin B12 düzeyleri tüm vakalarda bakıldı. Ayrıca uterin ve umbilikal arter Doppler çalışması yapıldı.

Bulgular: Preeklamptik hastalarda serum folat düzeyleri anlamlı olarak dah düşük idi (p<0.001). Bu uterin arter Doppler indeksleri ile pozitif, umbilikal arter Doppler indeksleri ile negatif yönde korele idi. Düşük serum folat seviyeleri kötü obstetrik sonuç ile de ilişkili idi. Serum B12 vitamin seviyeleri farklı değildi.

Sonuç: Serum folat seviyeleri preeklamptik gebelerde anlamlı olarak daha düşüktür ve uterin arter Doppler indeksleri ve kötü obstetrik sonuç ile koreledir.

Keywords: Preeclampsia; serum folate; serum vitamin B12; umbilical artery Doppler; uterine artery Doppler.