Maternal Selenium, Copper and Zinc Concentrations in Early Pregnancy, and the Association with Fertility.

Jessica A Grieger,Robert J Norman,Tina Bianco-Miotto,Claire T Roberts,Anthony V Perkins,Rebecca L Wilson,Gus A Dekker,Tanja Jankovic-Karasoulos,Luke E Grzeskowiak,Shalem Y Leemaqz

doi:10.3390/nu11071609

Abstract

Trace elements such as zinc, copper, and selenium are essential for reproductive health, but there is limited work examining how circulating trace elements may associate with fertility in humans. The aim of this study was to determine the association between maternal plasma concentrations of zinc, copper, and selenium, and time to pregnancy and subfertility. Australian women (n = 1060) who participated in the multi-centre prospective Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints study were included. Maternal plasma concentrations of copper, zinc and selenium were assessed at 15 ± 1 weeks’ gestation. Estimates of retrospectively reported time to pregnancy were documented as number of months to conceive; subfertility was defined as taking more than 12 months to conceive. A range of maternal and paternal adjustments were included. Women who had lower zinc (time ratio, 1.20 (0.99–1.44)) or who had lower selenium concentrations (1.19 (1.01–1.40)) had a longer time to pregnancy, equivalent to a median difference in time to pregnancy of around 0.6 months. Women with low selenium concentrations were also at a 1.46 (1.06–2.03) greater relative risk for subfertility compared to women with higher selenium concentrations. There were no associations between copper and time to pregnancy or subfertility. Lower selenium and zinc trace element concentrations, which likely reflect lower dietary intakes, associate with a longer time to pregnancy. Further research supporting our work is required, which may inform recommendations to increase maternal trace element intake in women planning a pregnancy.

Highlights

Impaired fertility, the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, afflicts millions of couples worldwide, placing a significant emotional and economic burden on themselves, their families, and society [1]
The aim of this study was to determine the association between maternal plasma concentrations of the trace elements, zinc, copper, and selenium, and time to pregnancy and subfertility
We demonstrate that lower maternal plasma zinc and selenium concentrations were associated with an approximate one month longer time to pregnancy (TTP)

Summary

Introduction

The failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, afflicts millions of couples worldwide, placing a significant emotional and economic burden on themselves, their families, and society [1]. Nutrients 2019, 11, 1609 inconsistent, evidence to suggest that high dose and occupational level exposures to toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead, associate with reduced fecundity and fertility in couples conceiving naturally [2,3] or requiring assisted reproduction [4,5,6,7] These elements are not essential to human health. Recent studies have demonstrated both positive and negative associations between selenium, zinc and copper in the follicular fluid of women with and without endometriosis, which is a common cause of infertility [15,16] Overall, these studies were limited by small sample sizes or were in women undergoing IVF or in women who had fertility disorders and so might not be representative of the general population, making the relationship between certain trace elements and fertility unclear. A major challenge in evaluating the effects of certain exposures on fertility lies in recruiting a sufficiently large sample of women prior to pregnancy and following them prospectively

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