İstanbul Medical Journal (Feb 2025)

Evaluation of Serum Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Cholesterol, and Triglyceride Levels in Pregnant Women Diagnosed with Missed Abortion

  • Ayça Kubat Küçükyurt,
  • Arzu Çetin,
  • Cansel Tanrıkulu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4274/imj.galenos.2024.07266
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 26, no. 1
pp. 1 – 4

Abstract

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Introduction: Missed abortion is defined as the intrauterine death of an embryo or fetus. It occurs when there is no fetal heartbeat, but it does not result in bleeding or miscarriage. It accounts for approximately 15% of all pregnancies. Studies have linked the risk of early pregnancy loss to poor vitamin intake. Essential micronutrients in the human body, vitamin A and E, play crucial roles in maternal health and embryonic development. Cholesterol is presumed to play a role in human fertility because it is the main substrate of steroid synthesis. Studies have reported that normal lipid metabolism plays a role in pregnancy complications, such as endothelial damage and spontaneous miscarriage. Maternal hypercholesterolemia is linked to umbilical cord endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, dysregulation of fat metabolism characterized by significantly increased total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels induces low-grade inflammation. Methods: The study, conducted at the İstanbul Training and Research Hospital from 01.02.2023 to 01.08.2023, included blood samples obtained from 50 pregnant women aged 20-45, diagnosed with a missed miscarriage. The vitamin A, E, TC, and TG values of the blood samples were compared. Results: Comparison of vitamin A, vitamin E, TC, and TG measurement values between the healthy and missed diagnosis groups in early pregnancy did not reveal significant differences. This study was designed to analyze serum vitamin A and E levels, cholesterol, and TG levels, potentially leading to early embryo and fetal losses, to assess the nutritional status and vitamin supplementation in early pregnancy. Due to the insufficient number of studies in the literature, further research with a larger sample size is needed. Conclusion: In our study, no association was found between maternal serum levels of vitamin A and E, TC, TG, and missed abortions in early pregnancy.

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